Admission to the Advanced Specialty Filmmakers Bootcamp in February, 2010
Another Giveaway
Even if you don’t produce a film, you can be entered in a drawing for a great giveaway package by simply helping to spread the word about the contest.
The giveaway package will include a copy of Pajama School, a DVD of Come What May, the soundtrack for Come What May, and a $25 gift card for the store of your choice! You can enter the drawing multiple times – once for each of the following things:
1. Post about the contest on your blog/website. Link to the Contest Page.
2. Twitter about the contest with a link to the Contest Page.
3. Update your Facebook status with “Win A Family Pass to the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival!” and a link to the Contest Page.
4. Include a contest announcement in your print or e-newsletter or in a special e-mail to your mailing list.
Natalie is such a Godly young woman with tremendous talents and gifts from the Lord. I am thankful to count her a close friend and sister in Christ. Her book is a wonderful resource for homeschooling students and families, as well as anyone even just interested in what homeschooling is all about. I hope you will be sure to stop by Natalie's blog and the official contest page for more details on her book and this exciting contest!
So we've been in renovation/decoration mode in our home for the last several months now, and it's great. I love it! I've been color-swatching, picture-framing and wall-hanging like crazy. Inspiration for this began when we finally got our icky, old country blue carpet out and our beautiful hardwood floors in. (Before and after pictures to come SOON! I promise. :)
But the question remains as I hustle and bustle my way around with vases, flowers and rugs, what style am I actually going for? I mean, what is MY style? One thing I have discovered over the years is that my tastes are an evolving, ever-changing part of me based on the many different life factors going on at the moment. I can change my mind on a color I've been set on for months in a moment's notice given a sudden burst of inspiration in my sleep one night.
So, all of that is to say, I found this quiz online (a tip of my hat to Carkay!) that helps you determine your own personal style. I think the below results are pretty close to my current decor style...
43% Wine Country Style
Tuscan sun, here we come! The Wine Country style reflects the feelings evoked by the seaside regions of Europe such as the South of France, Spain, Italy and Greece. The style manages to be both refined and casual, such that you can mix beautiful antiques with more rustic wrought iron or wood and the result is both sophisticated and cozy.
Furniture is large and comfortable, colors are bright and cheery, and regardless of the color palette the spaces almost always feel warm. You can easily translate the style into the perfect family environment but you can just as easily emphasize the more formal pieces and make your room the perfect adult getaway.
29% Classic
What's old is new again! The beauty of Classic style is how well it takes all of the beautiful forms, colors and textures of the past and reinvents them in a way that feels both fresh and inspired. The style itself is a mix of European influences and French, English and Italian antiques and replicas are often used together. Furniture is well proportioned and comfortable and the rooms give off an air of sophistication and grace. Oil paintings depicting still-life or nature scenes and emphasizing symmetry of pairs helps maintain the traditional nature of the room. Windows are often covered with opulent fabric shades and/or drapery.
Traditional rooms give off an air of history that seems to say "I was here long before you, and will remain long after you've gone." And yet, even with this level of sophistication, the rooms are soft and inviting.
28% Cottage Chic
Who says that cottages can't be modern and chic? Who says that they have to be floral and cheesy? Not you! You love the carefree spirit that the cottage interior inspires, but you are also serious about your appreciation for modern art and hip treasures. You love old and new alike, and love to highlight them all to expose the uniqueness of each. What better way to show off these treasures than with a light background?
How about you? I'd love to see what your tastes are! You can take the quiz at: http://www.sproost.com. :)
My word. I am getting old. Time is truly only going faster and faster every single year of my life. My grandmother told me when I had my 10th birthday that once I hit those double digits, it would be all down here from there... Little did I know how right she was. To say that I'm shocked that it's been so long since I last posted would be quite the understatement. My head is just spinning these days.
I cannot begin to catch everyone up fully on all that has transpired these last 9 months or so, nor would everyone like to know all of the itty bitty details of our little lives, but suffice it to say we have been moving at break-neck speed. It seems that things are settling down somewhat for the time being, though. And for that, we are extremely thankful!
So, how about just a quick little family update?
Health-wise, we are ALL doing well. Praise God, Travis is just doing fantastically. Between the two of us, we were in the hospital 5 separate times, not including 2 emergency room runs that didn't result in being admitted over night last year. I don't even think I ever told you all that during all of Travis's health trauma last year, my appendix decided to rupture, resulting in a 5 day-long hospital stay and then two weeks later another 3-day stay due to an infection that I developed from the appendectomy. What a wild year! Thankfully, the Lord healed and sustained us through it all and has blessed us above and beyond anything we ever could hope for.
Travis is still working and going to school, and is set to (finally!) graduate in May. He plans to pursue his Master's as well, but hasn't decided on a school just yet. He is still my heart song and the love of my life. I continually marvel at how lucky (blessed) I am to be married to such a kind, loving and strong man.
Little Clarkey is now 2 years old and really not that little anymore. Can you believe it? It feels like yesterday that I was posting blog entries about Baby V and wondering what day he would make his appearance. He is now talking up a storm and keeping us in stitches at his antics and great sense of humor. His favorite meal is beans and "bread-corn" (cornbread) and he truly is all BOY, which is evident by his favorite past times: the great outdoors, dogs, cars (he has a hard time understanding when we're in a parking lot why we can't just get into any car he likes and drive away in it), FOOD, his stuffed bear and any book he can get his hands on. We so proud of him.
And with that, I will leave you for now with a few of our favorite pictures taken by a dear friend of ours. Hopefully next time it won't be next year when I post again!
Soo, I've been basically non-existent! It happens. I've been having a really good time being non-existent though! I visited New York City from the December 28th to the 30th. I really love it there, New York City is something else!
We walked all over the place. We were considering driving but you can't really experience the way New York City is if you drive... It saves some wear and tear on your feet, but that's about it. Give some credit to that old saying... No pain no gain, correct?
We spent a lot of time in midtown Manhattan. That is a really lovely part of New York. I enjoyed myself the most in midtown. Downtown was less enjoyable, but I think I was too tired to keep up with the pace in downtown! Oh well, next time...
We also rode on the subway. That was an interesting experience... Pretty confusing. You really have to think logically and plan out your route. It was confusing at first, but a neat experience overall. That's how we got from midtown to downtown.
A good way to make your trip to New York a lot easier is to get a hotel in the midtown area. Getting a hotel outside of the city just won't do! Listen, the extra money is worth it, stay in the city. It won't keep you up at night, trust me, I'm a night owl and an insomnia sufferer. I slept fine! And when you're walking nearly 9 miles in New York in a day trying to see everything you want to see, you'll pass out at the end of the day, too. No problem.
Thanks to all you New Yorkers who made our trip a memorable one! We can't wait to visit again. Well, I can't wait. :) The only complaint we had was traffic! But we only had to deal with that for a limited amount of time. Next time we plan on visiting Little Italy, and maybe do some more shopping. And of course, I'm taking a lot more photos than I did! I took a ton but I need more nighttime skyline shots. That would be fabulous.
Well, I'll report more about New York soon but I did want to add a quick entry to update you all on what I've been doing.
This book really answered my questions and gave me a start at understanding Communism and it's ideals. It's a great introduction and gives a perfect overview of this flawed ideology.
It begins with the basics of Communism, such as private land, personal freedom and the differences between Socialism and Communism. It also covers Marx and Engels influences, and how the Communist Manifesto came to be (More so in an abbreviated form, if you wish to know more about the Communist Manifesto, read it yourself).
This is a wonderful book to recommend to any fairly intelligent individual considering the notion that Communism is a beneficial social, political and even religious policy. This book isn't a piece of literature only for the philosopher or genius, but the averagely intelligent fellow can read through this book in a week and get a basic knowledge of Communism.
Viva La Capitalism, my friends.
Memorable quotations from "Communism" by Richard Pipes:
Karl Marx "It was French radical thinkers of the eighteenth century who first advanced communism programs, calling for the abolition of all private wealth on the grounds that it was the cause of every misery known to mankind. In the words of Morelly, the author of the influential treatise "Le cofe de la Nature", published in 1755:
'The only vice which I know in the universe is avarice; all the others, whatever name one gives them, are merely forms, degrees of it... Analyze vanity, conceit, pride, ambition, deceitfulness, hypocrisy, villainy; break down the majority of our sophisticated virtues themselves, they all dissolve in this subtle and pernicious element, the desire to possess.' Such economically determined psychology lies at the root of every socialist and communist doctrine." -Communism by Richard Pipes, Page 9, emphasis added
I find this quote particularly interesting, because the analysts of the eighteenth century (The age of enlightenment) were seemingly trying to find a way to explain what makes mankind "tick". Although, conventional knowledge can never seem to supercede the Lord, it is explained in the Bible, within the first book, why we have the desire to possess and why we wish to be prideful, be deceitful, and partake in other unruly sinful qualities.
Friedrich Engels "The Marxist concept of social evolution arose under the influence of the Darwinian theory formulated in 1859 in 'On The Origin Of The Species'. Darwin's book depicted the emergence of biological species as due to a process of natural selection that enabled the better to survive in a hostile environment... ...So great was Darwin's influence on Marx that Engels, speaking at his friends' funeral, said, 'Just as Darwin had discovered the law of development of organic nature, so did Marx discover the law of human history.' " -Communism by Richard Pipes, Page 9, emphasis added
This is an interesting fact to observe that Marx helped to base his concept of the Communist Manifesto from Darwinism. The Nazis also based their racial doctrines from Darwinism.
The book also expands upon the different forms of Communism that have risen from Marx's original Communist theory. He explains Leninism in detail, and how the Communist regime in Russia took different turns while Stalin lead the country, and communism in other countries such as: Cambodia, China, Cuba and Chile. The book also explains the effects of Communism on economies, and how Communism ultimately leads to totalitarianism and fascism.
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Oct. 23, 2008
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Obama Is Not Qualified To Be President
Posted By
Annette
But not on grounds of experience (Which is debatable, BUT...) or his stand on the issues or even his connections.
It's all on one "minor" detail that has been hidden for over 20 months.
If he's a natural born citizen - Then why hasn't he produced a birth certificate? Why won't he release his medical records? Why won't he release his college records?
Now I'm beginning to understand why they called that one show on Style "Whos wedding is it anyway?" It seems as if the entire family here has jumped into "MASSIVE WEDDING PLANNING" mode, especially the mothers around here! Theres still a huge laundry list of things that need to be done...
X-All of the bridesmaid dresses need to be sewed properly and hemmed and so on and so forth. (Overall, four dresses!)
X-The brides' dress needs minor adjustments made to it
X-The cake needs decorated and assembled.
X-The programs need printed.
X-Camera cards need cleaned off and batteries charged.
X-My hair and my mothers' hair needs a test run.
X-My mom and my sister need their hair fixed up
X-I need to iron out the piano peice for the wedding (Argh!)
X-Limo contract needs to be signed.
X-Over 20 Songs need downloaded for the reception.
And most of these things need to be done by THURSDAY! And let me tell you, people, Cassandra and Chris's cake is no rinky dinky little cake! It's a massive four tier cake and two sattelite cakes! Oh boy... The drama ensues! Not to mention, the bridesmaids and I are still trying to plan a little get together for my sister (The bride). Sheesh! Lord willing, everything will go according to plan...
So I'll make this quick... We've been preparing for my sisters' wedding the past few weeks... From August 3rd-9th I was in Charlotte, NC, for National Fine Arts... Sonshinefest was July 20th, we ahd a fun time, until it downpoured, ha! My mom made a cake for someones wedding... I had to help serve spaghetti at the Fine Arts auction... And of course, there was my sisters' bridal shower. My friend of many years graduated in June (Yeah I'm going kind of backwards here...), we enjoyed yucky weather for the fourth, we had our patriotic festival, and there was also the Fine Arts coffeehouse... and of course our very first homeschool co-op social. So, yep, inbetween were sleepovers with my gal friends, swimming and lots of tanning. :)
Full summer! I wish I had time to post photos and even videos of all the madness, but I'll get to it when I have more time for the computer.
This book really answered my questions and gave me a start at understanding Communism and it's ideals. It's a great introduction and gives a perfect overview of this flawed ideology. 
Karl Marx
Friedrich Engels 
