Crossing off the Bucket List!

"The Big Brown Bear went LOLLOPPING over the mountain!"

-Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

(and, consequently, so did I while in Colorado!) I love how life will sometimes suddenly throw dozens of new experiences at you and ask you to juggle them accordingly. You know I've been busy busy busy with my travels and only just got back in time for my very own birthday. But now I foresee very few wanderings for a couple months and hopefully can get into the swing of quite a lot of things I've neglected over this Spring and start to the Summer. I  would appreciate prayer for wisdom regarding employment this fall. While I hope to be a published author someday, such a thing takes time, and I find I must seek some other thing that will earn me money while I pursue that dream. The current ideas a literary-themed online shop, creative-writing tutoring/mentoring, and the teaching of creative writing at some local co-op or another. These things would require me to move my botto and get out talking to people and quite frankly, that freaks me out. However, I do see the necessity and the productivity of it, so whether I pursue one of these avenues or another, I would love a spot in your prayer-time! But to round out the topic I began this post with, here are a few of the Pioneering Things I've done in recent weeks!

(bucket-list items in red!)

Cooked dinner without a single recipe in a dinky bachelor kitchen for The Three Bears.

oh look! one of the bears took a photo and instagram'd it!

I turned 21. :)

I tried Swing Dancing

I was dipped while dancing (without falling over)

I began to read my first Amish Romance (pressed upon me as a birthday gift by Abigail)

I started to save for my possible return-trip to Romania/Europe sometime next year!

I visited the real Whit's End

I set up my own iTunes account and made the choice to purchase a whole album of Kate Rusby songs simply because I like her voice and the music and now I'm nervous because I didn't consult Sarah, my Sister Who I Consult on these matters. O.o

I drank Sparkling Cider for an occasion not at all related to New Year's

I went to Colorado

I bought a grammar book

I drank an iced-coffee without the ice.

I dropped my copy of Winnie-The-Pooh on a poor man's feet next to me in the airplane.

So that's what's new with me...how about you? Having a bonny summertime?

The Long-Awaited Coffee-House Part One! :)

I am sorry to have neglected this blog recently, but the truth is that the business of planning, preparing and executing two large fund-raising events within twenty-four hours of each other put quite a damper on all things blog-related. But I DID keep my tablet charged and I DID take pictures so there you go. I suppose I ought to start at the beginning because this isn't a very coherent update for those of you who aren't on Facebook and haven't been constantly told updates about our coffee-house fundraiser event and the following yard-sale.

Wednesday was a prep day with things like making the chocolate chip cookie-dough cheesecake, organizing piles of decor in the four categories: (Hipster, French, Coffee-Shop, and Vintage), and packing all the items for the garage sale in the garage. (A very large feat, that.)

The coffee-house was first. Thursday we spent the day cleaning the house, and in afternoon I swung out of our driveway, picked up Matthew and then drove to Petersburg to meet Josie and her momma. I also wore my awesome but hipster polka-dot sweater and straightened my hair. I look like such a kid when I do that!

We got home, unpacked, and spent the night watching This is the Army which swung us on with fabulous music till midnight. The we collapsed into bed, and the morning came way too fast for anyone's taste.

Friday morning.

I had a slight panic moment seeing how light it was when I woke up--I thought I had slept the day away. Turns out it was only 7:30 and I had nearly 12 hours to pull off my brain-child project. Josie was absolutely invaluable in boosting the skills and things that Sarah and I have in moderation. We would arrange a corner and it would look good, but then Josie would come, tilt her head, furrow her brow, rearrange something and it would look perfect. We totally rearranged the furniture, took down all previously existing decor, and re-did the house. So much so that when one of our team-guys came in he said, "Hey. You guys should keep your house like this. It looks really cool." That made me happy, because this guy is at our house at least every Sunday, and oftentimes in the days between.

Friday we literally spent all day on our feet. We felt like tree-toads, walking all over countertops and table-tops and using tape for everything. I swear tape is a modern miracle. Honestly. Scotch-tape held up 80% of our decorations! I ought to buy stock in the company and then go around demonstrating it as the party-planners best friend. ;) I'm going to do a whole post on the decorations and how we made what we made and how we spent not a red-cent, but I don't want to overload you so today you get the general push through of the weekend. One quick mention of our method, however: we asked for $5.00 at the door, and then priced the drinks and baked goods cheaply. The most expensive item was "The Neverland" which was a coffee milkshake loaded with whipped cream and sprinkles that cost $3.00. Funny thing is, that and the "Poor Edith" (a simple, plain caramel latte) were the most popular items. We made a killer off the Neverlands. Will definitely be selling those again if we do another coffee-house sometime.

The rest of the team arrived at 5:30 and we had nachos and then got down to business. (but we didn't defeat the huns ;) and I trained my team of baristas. There was a vaguely frightening moment when I started to doubt anyone besides the team would show, but then the people started streaming in and the kitchen filled up craziness from Justin, Daniel, Tim, Emma, Sarah, and I, and before I knew it people were leaving and it was 11:00 PM and we had made well over $200.00 from the thing! I was shocked and pleased when I saw how God had blessed our efforts! The whole time it kind of felt like grabbing at the wind because it was Sarah and I planning this thing kind of last minute and not knowing if it would fly, but God gave it wings enough. After everyone had left, Josie and I perched on hard chairs in the dining room (don't ask me why) and talked until at least midnight again. Wow....noticing a pattern here.

We tumbled to bed and were awakened before the sunrise to get the yard-sale set up and together.

It was supposed to start at 9:00, but people started coming at seven-thirty and didn't stop till 1:00. Again, the Lord totally blessed the method of the yard-sale. We stuck all the items in neat rows and told people  to make a reasonable offer and then pay up and take it away. By the end we had made at least $600 which brought our grand total for the weekend up to $870.00 which exceeded (by a bit) the amount we had gone into the weekend needing!

This means our trip is fully funded now! We are going to Romania and it is paid for and we will have an amazing time and we will come back!  Hallelujah, and a huge thanks to those of you who helped us all the long and tedious way to raising our funds! Those of you who came and donated your time and money (Josie! <3) and those who put effort and time into helping with the decor (Jill! <3) and everyone in between! This weekend was crazy and fun and hectic and I am exhausted now on this cold Monday morning, but it worked. To quote a very very sappy movie, "Never despise meager beginnings."

So thanks, ya'll, and stay tuned for a post with more pictures, awesome details, and How-To-Plan-This-Party-Yourself. :D

Operation Graduates Part Six: THE BIG DAY!

The graduation was so great. So wonderfully great.

All that work was worth it.

I only wish I had had a day of rest and recovery beforehand so I could have enjoyed the party a little bit more. See, I'm a social butterfly. But this social butterfly had been handled too much and had too many of her pretty little feather-colors brushed off so she was crippled and limp and had lost a wing or two. :P I was so sleepy! Haha! But it was amazing all the same. Thank you to the 150+ people that came and made it all worthwhile! :)

Isn't she gorgeous?

And him? Suavity. Suavity.

The day began with preparation of people. I did Sarah's hair in a Pinterest-worthy way. But I made it up. Which made me happy. That's not an easy feat, you know? And one of my Pinterest-worthy friends said it looked like movie-star hair, so I totally am happy with that as well. ;) The ceremony was held in a church nearby who were so generous with their time and space! We got there early, of course, and Levi loved watching Paid in Full practicing. 

Daniel wrote a beautiful song for Sarah, and I helped him write a few of the words while cleaning till 10:30 Friday night. 

"You were born with joy inside

You watched the world with smiling eyes.

You found the secret Neverlands

Because you looked for them.

The world obsessed with moving on

Your heart was whisp'ring 'Please look back'..."

I wrote them on my hand and left them in a notebook for Daniel. Daniel finished the song-writing and was all prepared to sing it, but he left the book at home, so I had to dash out, crank up the country music station, and retrieve it. :) 

The ceremony, since it was a double-on, ran a little long, but everyone had a fabulous time, Sarah and Matthew both slammed their speeches, and Sarah sang "Draw Me Nearer" with her classic swag. ;D

We had great worship-time...

And all that great stuff.

We rendezvoused back at the house for cake, punch, and more food as the evening progressed! :D 

I must have been looking tired because so many people smiled that "I totally understand, hon" smile at me, and several people remarked, "Aw, Rachel, you're too quiet tonight." 

What do you think?

Yeah, actually I agree. :P 

Moving onnnnnn....

Awwwwww <3

The cakes were perfection.

I am having a little difficulty getting photos of the decorations, but I'll do a post on those separately! :)

As the evening progressed we had LOADS of conversation...

....eating...

...conversation...

....games....

....eating....

....banter....

....eating.....

.....banter....

....eating....

....banter....

{yeah, you get the picture.}

We had a big bon-fire too!

A certain Farm-boy was our unofficial fire-man and stomped all the creeping flames out as they threatened to burn up the grass. ;) 

Half-way through the evening, I changed into my mulberry thermal-shirt and my flannel-lined pants...

Ah! Here's me! (back there.)

The graduate in her comfy-clothes...

After people left, Wyatt Fairlead and the rest of us stayed awake till one o'clock chatting and sitting on hard metal chairs. He was staying the night at our house while his family was staying with other friends, and we were all getting really kinda crazy. Laughing about nothing and everything, and philosophizing and criticizing literature in between...? :D

We all blame it on the hot chocolate. Seriously. Anyone who drank that stuff was strange the rest of the evening....we make no comment. 

*Happy sigh*

Worth it? I think so.

(By the way, all photos are credit to Matthew's Aunt Cherie Solomon!)