Pearl Paradise Giveaway

I was reading a friend's new blog post, and it was about this site called Pearl Paradise that she had reviewed. It has beautiful items for great prices - perfect prices for the gals that choose pearls over diamonds (I myself being one of them.) I then read on to see that she is holding a contest for a Tahitian Pearl necklace! Here is the post so you can enter! Good luck!


Pearl Paradise Post

Royal Pot of Saintly Tease

Dreamless dreams and shapeless tales
of which your tears have long forgotten
the twist of fate or how you had failed;
Your wish never acquired in your tasteless
Royal pot of saintly tease.

A fork in the road, watching with eyes
in the back of your head wishing for
A simple time to return, one who lies
for the sinner but unveils the saint
a trail of breadcrumbs reveals her
Royal pot of saintly tease.

Hazy eyes and bleary smiles
filled with fear and selfless doubt
Wishes, tales, and dreamless dreams . . .
Saintly tease, just go home, now.

Coin Laundry – Lisa Mitchell & Dream – Priscilla Ahn

Two favorite songs I thought I’d share . . . enjoy :]

 

Alice Took The Right Turn

Happy happy, sing sing.
It’s never as simple
as the simplicity of yesterday.
You see through your eyes
Those pretty, betraying lies.
But your heart and mind?
They see the murderous truths

Sing for me; sing a melody
Smile for me; if only to brighten my day
Hold me close and laugh with me
Only to break down the glacier of Not Now.

Depths and measures of words on your tongue;
You’re blind with what is made rather than how.

This is pointless, I’ll tell you right now.
I’ll tell you straight that you’re just a lie.
Your friends are a lie, your life is a lie.

Open your heart . . . open your mind.
Fall down the rabbit hole to see the truth.

Not everything is what is seems to be . . .

Tea Parties with Wine.

A simple little world
Lost in your eyes
A tea party with wine
Trapped in my imagination.

My story is simple and sweet.
I sit and sing my sweet lullaby.
I wait for him to smile.
I wait for him to speak.

I sing and I dance
A mournful tale.
It speaks of a love which,
To show, I fail.

I’m a simple little girl
Lost in my tale of disgrace.
Though, unlike other girls,
I have a fear of fate.

He’s a wistful young fellow.
Blind to what’s before him.
Caught up in the lies
So afraid to reveal his sin.

Maybe someday
He’ll see me again
But until then I wait
Long after the clouds turn grey,
Long before Cinderella finds her Prince,

Until then . . . I wait.

More Etsy Finds

I found these neat things at Peaches4me shop

 

22.00 3.00 shipping

20.00 3.00 shipping

  26.00 3.00 shipping

10.00 3.00 shipping

10.00 3.00 shipping

 

I found something even more interesting I found though. . .

LillyEllen custom designs. You pick which ring/necklace/bracelet/etc. you want from her shop, tell her what you want written on it, and tada! I found this neat, because I just LOVE things that are more personal and custom-made rather than a regular gift. They have more of a meaning – and are less likely to be thrown away when going scavenging your home for no-goods!

This, or a ring, is one I’d want . . . hint hint. ;]

 

She also has her own website at lillyellen.com if you’d like to see more :)

 

Enjoyyy.

Nights are the Worst

I don’t like nights currently (the sleeping, alone part of it.) My stomach feels sick because I’m very worried. I worry too much.

Luckily, during the day, I can distract myself with useless things such as restaurant names that are just wrong, making fun of lawyers, and cleaning my room when it will just be dirty again within a couple of days.

 

Last night, at 8:30, I went to see “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” with my good friend, Emma, and her mom. It was pretty amazing, I must say (although I don’t believe it would’ve been half as amazing if Emma and I hadn’t been hiked up on sugary goods :D). It was a much more humorous movie than the rest of the series. David Yates will not be chased down with pitchforks and fire. Good job, Mr. Yates.

I am looking forward to Wednesday. Do you have any idea as to why? Well, my friend, it is because I will be photographing my lovely best friend, Sarah, for her birthday :D it is a birthday gift from me to her. She has the loveliest blue eyes you’ve ever seen, and a gorgeous smile. I am very excited, and so is she :)

I’m also trying to finish “The Forgotten Garden” so then I can tell you all what I think of it. So far, I’m very impressed. It doesn’t have any nasty words or anything, and the story flows wonderfully. It’s different, too (compared to what I’ve read at least). It’s very innocent, with a hint of a dark, foreboding tale. My kind of book :)

 

Anyway, I’m off to attempt cleaning that dastardly treacherous room of mine. Wish me luck, fellows.

Expect More Posts…

For the next three weeks, Kevin will be gone. Two weeks he will be a counselor, and then the last week he will be just a regular camp-ee.

So, in other words, I will be EXTRAORDINARILY bored. There are positives and negatives about these trips though:

Positives:

I can get to a lot of things I’ve been wanting to do.
Girl time :]
Hanging out with my girlies.
Him having fun and having a break from all this insanity :]

Negatives:

Not hearing from him much (the last week not at all).
Not knowing how his throat is doing.

I’m sure there are a few more negatives, but those are the two that are the main ones.

I think him being gone for awhile will be good. It may seem like a long time, but in reality we’ll blink and it’ll be over with. I think we both need a break from the insanity of his mother and the whole drama scene created each day (although, I will admit, it’s been pretty low lately), that way we can regain our strength and sanity for when he gets back.

5 days after he returns, he’ll be having surgery for his throat. He could have had it this coming Wednesday, but apparently someone saw that it was smarter to wait . . . don’t get me started on that.
Anyway, so this is what’s going on. I’ll soon be posting a link to my new blog, “Evelyn Blythe Fotography”, that way you can view some of my loverly work while reading some of my nonsensical ramblings :]

Have a great weekend, dolls.

One More Find...

Isn't it beautiful? $35.00 with $2.50 shipping. I absolutely adore it...

Find it here.

Birthday Gift Ideas....(yes, I know)

Soo... my birthday is in exactly 51 days, so I'm kind of putting a list together...just a few ideas...you know...good stuff... :]


So, you all know I love vintage wear. Handmade crafts. Special, unique items. Welllll there's this site called Etsy.com...and it's pretty freaking amazing.

Here is one thing I found that I adore:






Isn't is cute?! It reminds me of Anastasia. It's $10.00 with $5.00 shipping. :]

Find it here!


Next, I decided to look through purses and bags. Now, "Alice in Wonderland" is my favorite disney movie, and when I saw this I nearly fell off my chair (or, my parents' bed):





Amazing! This is $20.00 with $6.00 shipping and handling.


You can find thisss item here!


Next off.. I love sapphire. A deep blue sapphire. It's beautiful, mysterious, and deep. I've been wanting some sort of jewelry item (a ring or earrings; pendant maybe :]) of sapphire, and I happened to find these on Etsy:






Aren't they beautiful? They're $24.99 with no cost of shipping!
Find it here

And then...ohhh boy. I found this...





Isn't it beautiful? I am in love.
It is $14.00 with $2.50 shipping :]

Find it here!


I then randomly found this beautiful locket:]



Isn't it lovely? I'm going crazy here.

it is $13.50 with no shipping costs!

find it here!



so, that's all for now. All of these items can be found on Etsy.com. Have funnn:]

Thinking Too Deeply . . . or Maybe Too Shallow?

"We all need somebody that can mend these broken bones."

Who, in our lives, is this person? Do any of us even have someone like this? Is it God, our mother, a spouse, a stranger even . . . who? Does this person have to come in a certain form; can it come in multiple forms, or must it be a single person? What about an animal, or an item?
How many people like this come in our lives? How many people like this do we lose, mess up, hurt, destroy even?
Honestly, I have only ONE solid person who can mend me when I am broken: God.
In human form, I have a few . . . Sarah, my wonderful mother, Kevin, Cheyenne, Carmen, my family . . . I know they would all do their best to help me during rough patches and hardships; my family, Sarah, and Kevin especially.


What other forms could this person come in? Could it be someone from work that you normally despise? Could it be the vermin in your backyard? Who? What?


Another question . . . WHY do we need people like this? Or something like this? Is it even a need? Maybe it is more of a want, rather than need.


Who in your life is like this for you? Who - or what - in your life mends you when you've been broken, whether it be just a crack or completely torn apart?


I could say much more about this, but my mind needs a rest. Just needed to write down a few words.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Since it is summer and I have quite a bit of free time, I decided to put a few books on hold to pass the time. One book that I was highly anticipating was "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. I have, over the past six months, been checking up on updates on the production of the movie, eagerly awaiting a trailer. I had read the synopsis posted on IMDb.com about the movie, and found it intriguing.
So I waited patiently for the trailer until finally, a week or two ago, it was posted! I watched the trailer, and nearly cried at just the trailer! Does that sound like me? No, it doesn't. I wouldn't even cry at "The Notebook", which both girls and guys I know couldn't help but tear up!
So then I was in a frenzy to get the book. I had to read it. It was a must. I put it on hold, and 5 or 6 days later it came in.
For three days you could not tear me away from that book. I took breaks now and then to pace myself, but then couldn't help but finish it last night.
I loved the ending! I won't give anything away, but it wasn't some sappy everyone gets their way kind of ending (which is exactly the kind of ending I hate). It was realistic, in a fictional sort of way.
The grammar and punctuation could have been way better, but the story itself was amazing. It had a couple slow points, but never slow enough to make me put it down. It wasn't too hard to figure out, but it was still a wonderful ending. This book is now a favorite of mine, and definitely going to find a home on my bookshelf!

Okay, I'll stop rambling and tell you a bit about the book.

Synopsis: Clare, at the age of six, meets a man by the name of Henry, who is thirty-six. For fourteen years he shows up at random intervals of her life, and they fall in love. When she is eighteen, he leaves with her a notebook with all the dates that he visited her, telling her to give this notebook to him when they meet for the first time in the present. He leaves, and she waits for two years, waiting for the moment they first meet.
Two years pass and one day, at the Newberry library in Chicago, she sees him - but he does not remember her.
And so, Clare and Henry's life together in the present finally begins.


"The Time Traveler's Wife" is a wonderful tale of patience and love, and waiting for that true love to come back to you. It's enticing and heartbreaking - I most definitely recommend it.

- Can't wait for the movie. Please don't ruin this one! Comes out August 14th, 2009.



Buy "The Time Traveler's Wife" at Barnes & Noble
Movie Info
Author's Site

I Am Afraid.

Foreign words for my tongue.
I am fearless. I am strong. Never will you see a tear. Never will you see me broken. I do not fake a smile, and I do not fear.
I am not one who fears tomorrow. I may be anxious and worry, but never have I truly been afraid. I am not one to admit to tears, but they have fallen. I am not one to fear, but I am afraid. I am not one to lost hope, but it's left me behind.
He speaks with such 'wisdom'. He has no hope. He speaks as if it has happened already, which frightens me. He talks to me with such surety, such . . . there aren't even words for it.

I am afraid. I am fearful. I am frightened. I am scared. I am losing sight of hope. My vision is blurred by the tears his voice brings to my eyes.
I need hope; how can I be supportive if he's lost it all?

I Love You, Papa

I love you, Papa
My shining silver Knight.
No other man can take your place.
Although they try with all their might.

I love you, Papa
With all my heart and soul.
You shield me from all harm
No matter the price or toll.

I miss you, Papa
I hope you never leave.
I don't think I could go a day
Without sitting on your knee.

I love you, Papa,
Please, please always stay.
Never once leave my side.
For all the rest of my days.



P.S. in this poem I'm referring to my fathers, not my brother whose nickname happens to be Pa Pa =]



Origin of Father's Day

The origin of Father's day is a little church in rural Spokane, Washington, 1910. A woman, Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd, was sitting in on a Mother's day sermon, listening to the preacher speak of the unconditional love and sacrifice mothers show for us daily. As she was sitting in on this sermon, she realized it had not been her mother, but father who showed this unconditional love and made those sacrifices for her and her five brothers. He had raised all six children on his own, after his wife had passed away due to complications during childbirth.
And thus, Father's day was born.


I have two great men in my life that I am very proud to call my Dad: Daryle Leiby and Patrick Neill.
Patrick Neill has been in my life since I was practically a baby. He's always been known to me as Dad. He treats me like his own child, disciplines me like his own child, and loves me like his own child. I AM his child. I am his daughter, and I know he's never going to leave my side, no matter how utterly horrible I am, he'll always be there to help me; wanted or not.
Daryle Leiby is my biological father. I met him once when I was 7, and then got in touch with him at 15. I don't know him very well, but I love him anyway. He tries very hard to be a good Dad to all of his kids, no matter how much crap we give him. I love him for that.


I love you both, Dads. Happy Father's day.

Sit Alone

Sit alone, dear quiet one. Your folded arms huddle your knees. Alone in this room, the Night whispers mournful lullabies to you. That dreadful sound of the broken clock; it ticks, and it tocks, wasting your time, second by second. Thoughts of what's to be and what you could never see swarm inside your wishful mind.
Peace, you whisper. Peace is all you wish for. A quiet sound of the muffled breath breaks your realm of intuitive teardrops. Another muffled breath, and your heart leaps in fear. Is it your own? You would assume not.

Huddle close, dear. There is no escape from your narcissistic solitude. A wish may be a dream your heart makes, but a prayer is a whisper seemingly fallen on deafened ears. Nightmares and treasures of memories throughout those years of anguish; threats not empty nor fulfilled.
In every tear is a remedy for the affliction your affection has acquired. A secret antidote inscribed on a prism of empathy collected from souls of anguish. What is to be of your mournful state?

Hush, dear. No longer will you cry. Just continue to huddle your knees; the Night will promise a peaceful ending if you just close your eyes.
Just huddle . . . never again will this happen.

Sweet Little Mockingbird

Sweet little Mockingbird,
Singing my saddened melody.
You burden my heart with sad little tunes.
Reminding me of what once used to be.

Sweet little Mockingbird,
Your voice, it makes me cry.
You bring no joyous smile upon
My lips; so torn and dry.

Sweet little Mockingbird,
Why won't he let me in?
His words are contradicting.
But still I pray again.

Sweet little Mockingbird,
I wish he wouldn't hide.
I'm strong enough, but does he see
The tears caused by his lie?

Sweet little Mockingbird,
I wont give up, I swear.
I'm not the type to leave and weep
When things are hard to bear.

Sweet little Mockingbird,
I know you hear me sing.
You hear my saddened solitude,
The song of what's to be.

Wondrous Memories of a Child's Past

So far, my summer has had a bad start. I am deciding to try and brighten it up (or lose all sense of it) in this post.


You see the picture above? That is the picture of my favorite childhood memory: my Anastasia music box. No it is not the real music box, although I hope to someday acquire one. It is the toy version which toy-makers produced for little girls, (maybe even boys) like myself, who yearned for the little music box shown in the 1997 film titled, "Anastasia", featuring the voices of Meg Ryan (Anastasia) and John Cusack (Dimitri). Although the movie was fictional, it was a fantastic children movie based on the mysterious Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov. It creates a story of a grandmother, so sure of her granddaughter's escape from the filthy hands of Rasputin, waiting for her to return to her rightful home - to her grandmother and the palace. Dimitri and his friend, Vladimir I think, find this homeless girl, Anastasia. They decide to present her to the heart-broken grandmother, and find that she is the real princess.
Yes, happy ending. Normally I dislike happy endings, but this one was a nice one.

Why would someone keep something so insignificant? The little doll that spun around to the music has been misplaced (I took her off for my barbies), the tinfoil mirror has been removed (I have vague recollections of this), and it is scratched up, the paint slowly wearing off. My reason? It brings back cherished memories of simple, wondrous times with my dear mother.
When I was just 6 years old, my mother would walk me down the street to the bus stop, holding my hand all along the way. We would play the music box, rewinding it completely, and then dance along to the music. I know, sounds silly, right? Not to me. It was something sweet and meaningful. To me, it shows how much my mother really cares for me. It made me feel special, and loved. It was a little bit of light in a dark period of time. I thank my mom for that; for still finding a way to make me feel so loved and cared for, although life wasn't so grand at that time.

It seems funny that I'm posting something like this today; on a day that I don't feel so loved. On a day that I've wrecked for my mom, who in turn wrecked it for me. But, I have no one to blame but myself for this disastrous day. I wrecked it myself. I hope maybe the sun will come out for her; she always loves it when the sun comes out.

I love you, mom. Thank you very much for loving me.

Disillusioned Perceptions

Have you ever been so intensely engaged in something, that you lose all sense of reality?
Yeah, sounds serious, I know. But, it's not. It's just a bit mind-boggling.

To explain my oh-so wonderful, almost psychological question: Yesterday afternoon, I became insanely obsessed with a little tween show titled, "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" (isn't it lovely how they portray our teens these days? Not too far from the truth, to be perfectly honest.) Since summer has begun, I have grown... bored with my time. Kevin is still unable to speak with me, close friends have been unable to associate with me, and I've no car to drive off somewhere at this time. With so much spare time, I decided to do some of those things that we all 'mean to do but never get around to doing them'. You know, maybe you wanted to check out that new show on ABC, or maybe your sister is suggesting a book that she judges is to die for, but you just don't set aside the time to do it! We all have those things.
Anyways, I'm getting sidetracked. So, I decided to look up the TV show I'd heard about off and on. I had watched the season finale whenever it aired last year, and decided I should fill in the blanks.
So, I began to watch the show. At first it was annoying, what with the mediocre acting and the 'lovely' portrayal of how sex-hungry men are, and how 'loving Christian families' are. I'm not sure if men (or teenage boys, if you prefer) are that desperate to 'get laid' at that age, but I find it a bit vulgar. And what if that's the truth? What if men at that age (not including home-schoolers, although I'm sure there are some sex-hungry fiends in that area lurking around also) are truly THAT desperate to lose their virginity? It's pathetic. I also found the portrayal of Christian families (true Christian families) a bit disgusting. No true Christian is that happy and positive about all that crosses their path. Maybe the "luke-warm" Christians, like my mother calls them, are like that because they put on a happy face, 'cause that's what they think they should do. Anyway, I don't feel like going on, ranting about that part. I'm getting sidetracked again.
Okay, so I continued watching it, and found it to get better. It became a slow ADDICTION to me. It's like how Betty (the online prositute the down-syndrome boy ordered) explained becoming addicted to cigarettes. First you have one, and it's not so bad. Then you have another, and it's all good. Then you have a third and you're hooked. It's just like that. I thought hey, this isn't so bad. Then, it's pretty good. Then all of a sudden I couldn't stop watching it!
So then I became obsessed with if Ben would stay with Amy through the pregnancy, what Ricky was up to with Grace, if Grace was naive enough to stay with Ricky, or if Adrianne would give her father a good solid chance. Oh yeah, and if Amy's dad would get his head out of his arse and grow up. He acts like a 15 year old. So immature for an adult. No wonder Anne wants to leave him!
You see what I mean? It became my world. I lost my reality in this show. I became part of it, and lost all sense of what I live in. My mother had to drag me from the computer just to let the dog out (15 times I might add; I swear the dog just tinkles a drop or two then comes back in. Every 10 minutes I tell you.)
And you know what . . . it was nice. It was nice to live in some other fantasy world, to live in some made-up character's problems. It was nice to think that I wasn't part of my own world, and to be away from my own set of problems for just a little while.
Ah, but all good things must come to an end . . . until June 22nd. I'm still not through with the first season. I'm contemplating spacing it out a bit . . . I'm on episode 18 I believe. Jeeze, 18 episodes in a little over a day.

Anyway . . . I believe I know the reason behind my obsessive, unrealistic yearning to escape my own world: I'm getting depressed.
Yes ladies and gentlemen, the happy-go-lucky, always laughing, always smiling young woman is having a bit of trouble keeping her chin up. It seems every day has a thousand blows straight to the heart for me. No, don't pity me, I'm just venting.
My dad never calls me back anymore. My Grammy never answers her phone. I found out I had a cousin who just died. Kevin's mother is doing her absolute best and trying her hardest to make this relationship fall to pieces. Oh yes, and I might be moving away from my beloved home. The end of the school year doesn't help; summer means staying at home most of the week with little to nothing to do, except try (and epically fail) at getting at least an inkling of pigment in my pale skin. Staying at home doesn't help the depression; going out and seeing people besides my family brings my day up a knotch. I love my family dearly, but spending 24/7 with them doesn't necessarily help.
I'm also tired of having a broken heart. Go ahead, roll your eyes at me, but you haven't a clue what a true broken heart is. Roll your eyes again; I dare you.
My broken heart is not torn because of silly boy matters. This boy broke my heart, I hate him. Pfh, I am not so petty. This broken heart is caused by the damage and pain of wanting my family to be whole. No, my parents are not divorced. It is a complicated story. To shorten it up for you: My biological father live 5 hours away, along with my girls and Grammy. My mother and (I hate the term) step dad live here with me, along with my brother. When I'm away from it all, the pain is numb, but I fear that soon the wound will be reopened again. My dad bought a house, so I may be visiting soon. I'm strong though; I can take it.


Anyway, let's just hope and pray this all gets better. I've had too much drama lately, and I'm not the type of girl who likes a lot of drama. I love me my movies, but damn I hate drama. Too much pain for those I love - including myself.



Anyhoo, I suppose I should be getting to bed . . . it kind of is 12:48 A.M.

Adios, amigos


P.S. I really want to learn spanish now . . . I mean come on, the way Adrianne and her mother speak to each other? The way they sound? It sounds so fun!


P.S.S. I promise, I'm done . . . once I finish season 1 and until June 22nd.

Poppy - My Favorite Flower. June 9th, 2009

"Poppies have long been used as a symbol of both sleep and death: sleep because of the opium extracted from them, and death because of their (commonly) blood-red color. In Greco-Roman myths, poppies were used as offerings to the dead. Poppies are used as emblems on tombstones to symbolize eternal sleep. This aspect was used, fictionally, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to create magical poppy fields, dangerous because they caused those who passed through them to sleep forever." - Wikipedia.

Today was a good day. I was able to see Kevin and spend some time with him. He also did something very sweet for me: he brought me my favorite flower. It's right below this text. He's a very sweet man. Thank you, darling. I really enjoyed it. :]

Poppy Quotes: "The poppy opens her scarlet purse of dreams." Scharmel Iris
"Through the dancing poppies stole A breeze most softly lulling to my soul." John Keats

It's a countdown!

As of August 3rd of 2010, Kevin will be (hopefully) moving out of his house.
I pray that this works out for the best. I pray that whatever is to happen with us moving out, it happens through God, therefore there is no way of it failing! I want Kevin and I to have a good start to the rest of our lives as adults, and the only way that good start will come is through Jesus.
Please pray that this works for us . . .



I made this widget at MyFlashFetish.com.

December 6th, 2008: the Beginning of the rest of my life

December 6th.... That was the day him and I officially began our adventure. That was the day we officially began our relationship.
Kevin is a wonderful man. He is full of life and wonder; along with a hint of adventure. He keeps me going every day, and inspires me to be better for him and those I care for (even for those I don't). He inspires me to be closer to Jesus, and to go to Him for every need and want. He supports me with all that I do, and pushes me to keep going and to keep working towards my goals. He forgives every mistake I make, and never stops loving me. He accepts me for who I am - faults included - and loves me for every single bit of it. He is a sweetheart and very kind. He is there for me when I need him as much as he can be during this hard time; I don't expect him to be perfect, or to be there every single time right now, but he expects the best from himself and sees it as him not giving me his best. I see it as him doing the best he can with this situation he's entangled with.
This man is the man God intended for me.
This man is the love of my life.