Avery-Here

The life and times of Willow

2011-03-26T13:59:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone, Willow here! Avery gave me permission to write on the blog... but now I'm not exactly sure what to write. I guess I'll tell you all a little about myself, since I'm new to school this semester and all.

My name is Willow Holland, but I think you already know that. I used to live in Massachusetts, but a few months ago my grandfather passed away and we moved to be closer to the rest of the family, who happen to live right around Mondale Academy. Sometimes I really miss it back home, it was all I ever knew. I had to leave my friends, my school, and sometimes I wish I had never moved. However, I have to admit, Mondale is pretty nice.

I'm used to going to public school, so a private boarding academy was definitely a big change, as were the room mates. I share a room with three other girls: Sophia Hamilton, Haydren Insalanco, and Sydney Jacobs. Sophie is a total drama queen, Haydren is a major chatter box, and I really don't know what to think about Sydney yet. I don't know if she's just quiet, but she seems to be giving me the cold shoulder for some reason.

Another big adjustment was the work load! I'm taking harder classes now, and there's a lot more homework to do. My favorite class would be biology of course, that and Spanish. I like the subjects to being with, but the teachers are great. Ms. Lafferick is the science teacher, she's a little odd to be honest, but it keeps things interesting. Señor Gwisdala is the Spanish teacher, and he is very nice and upbeat, and has neat games to make learning easier.

I wanted to get involved in a as much as I could, so as soon as I enrolled I tried to join a few student organizations. I'm not exactly a sporty person and most of the school teams were already filled, so I looked into any clubs they had. I looked at drama, but I have stage fright so that wouldn't work out. I don't know to play an instrument, so jazz band was out of the question. Things were looking kind of dismal until I spotted a small poster on the news bulletin board. And just my luck, there's an environmental club! I love nature and gardening, as well as biology. I went to a meeting after school, and it's headed by Ms. Lafferick. It's not the most popular thing to be in with only a few students, but it's fun so far. We're doing a recycling project soon, maybe I'll post again about that?

Anyways, I've just gotten settled into school life. It feels good to finally be finding my niche. I just hope it will last.

-Willow D. Holland

Remember when...?

2011-03-19T19:16:00.003-04:00

Remember when....?

This blog was actually updated more than once a month, without all of my repetitive "sorry for being absent!" posts?
Things were written by Avery, and not me?
It was the dolls' lives posted about, and not me dumping my life story on you guys?
There were actually pictures of American Girls, and photo stories, and little diary-like entries?
It was about having fun and not popularity?

I miss those days, I honestly do. When I used to make up stories with the girls, take pictures just for enjoyment. When I didn't worry about how many comments or followers or what other people were doing. There's been a lot of "Bringing Back 2009" talk, and that sounds like an excellent idea. I think I'm going to try jumping on the bandwagon here.

Of Sonali and Snow

2011-03-11T15:36:00.001-05:00

Just when the feet of the snow starts melting, you can see grass, and I can actually walk home on the sidewalks instead of through snowbanks, we get another storm. Lovely. I wish spring were here already. Seriously, I would be happy with forty degree weather. :P

But Sonali likes the snow!

Short post is short.
-Brooke

102 and Willow too!

2011-02-19T13:48:00.007-05:00

Enjoy the rhyme-y, strange title! It reminds me of 'Tippecanoe and Tyler Too!', which is sad since History class really is wearing off on me. I hope people understand that reference, otherwise I'm going to seem more odd than I already do, haha.

Anyways, this is a rather important post, since it celebrates Avery-Here's 102 followers - what a great milestone! Thank you all so much for following this blog and putting up with my ramblings, rantings, absences, etc. I means a lot to know that people actually do read this and I'm not just talking to myself. :P

In order to celebrate these 102 amazing followers, I planned out an AG post! Finally! I know, I've been terrible with photographing the dolls, which is kind of what this blog is supposed to be all about. I took over for a little while, and I'm sorry about that. I hope to focus more on the AG's soon.

I posted about Lanie a while back asking for name suggestions, but kind of left you guys hanging and I haven't mentioned her since then. I've been super busy and haven't had much of a chance to do much with the poor girl. Well, I'm pleased to announce that I now have her name - Willow Delanie Holland. I used Delanie as the middle name so she can also be called Lanie, and I've started calling her Lanie-Bug. :) I was debating on Willow/Willa, but went with Willow since Willa Holland is an actual person/actress that I didn't even know existed. And I've typed Willow and Willa so many times that I'm losing the meaning of those words, haha.

She's a shy girl, who likes reading and biology and being outdoors, no matter what time of year, though she's glad that the weather is warming up and it's more feasible to be outside. Sadly, that's about all of her personality I have figured out now.

So enjoy the pictures of Willow! :) I love cross-process. I usually try not to edit my pictures too much, but I was bored and thought it looked cool.

Hope you are all having a wonderful day!
-Brooke

Très Bonne

2011-02-09T17:47:00.007-05:00

Très Bonne, muy bien, sehr gut, molto buona... however you want to say it, today has been very good. I don't know why, it's just been one of those random great days that I can't really explain the reason why. It's a multitude of things, I guess.

The highlight was burning old papers from classes I had last semester. The most liberating thing ever. I really recommend it, just don't burn your house down. :P Also burned a copy - well, more like singed a few pages - of Atlas Shrugged. You know it's a good day when old homework is toasting in your fireplace and Atlas Shrugged is smoldering and the corner of the cover is crumbling to ash. That sounds really sadistic, but it's true, I'm a raging, psychopathic, pyromaniac. /sarcasm. (Totally kidding. I'm a really sarcastic person, but it doesn't come across very well on the internet. So I thought I'd clarify.)

I even got a half ways decent picture today! See above. There's some mild bokeh up in the corner, too. That's they best photo I've gotten in a while, which isn't saying much. I haven't had much time for photography, or the AG's, or blogging (SORRY!), but I was glad to get outside, I trudged through like 15 inches of snow for that picture, and my hands were so numb that I could barely press the shutter. But I suppose it was all worth it. Not the best, but I'm sort of happy with it.

Well, I suppose I'd best get started on that mountain of homework waiting for me. Procrastination is beautiful.
-Brooke

PS: I just realized I have 100 followers! It really is a good day, haha. :O Thank you so much! I will do a more official post, that is actually AG-center, later.

Midterms.

2011-01-28T17:13:00.004-05:00

Dear Midterms,
I hate you. Good day.
Sincerely,
-A frustrated exam taker
*^That's what is says in the picture, but it's too small to see*

Midterms... have been conquered.
Exams are officially the worst things on the planet. I literally studied from four o'clock in the afternoon until one in the morning. Not fun. Functioning on only five hours of sleep is not good. But, midterms are now over!
And... the good news is that I did awesome! I don't mean to be arrogant or brag or anything, sorry if it comes off that way. I got a 98 (YES! A 98!) on AP Bio, I have no idea how that happened, and a 96 in my advanced math class. All the other subjects I got above a 93. Not bad, not bad at all.
Now I can sleep, not obsess over studying, and be generally less stressed and a more pleasant human being to be around. I turn into a viscous creature during exam times.

Between getting my thankfully good exam scores and going to a cafe downtown with a few friends, and tonight watching Bend It Like Beckham, it's a good day.

I promise I will take some AG pictures soon! I know I've kind of been taking over this blog and there has been very little actual American Girl posts. :/ Sorry about that!
-Brooke
*who is a very happy person right now*

A post of anything and everything...

2011-01-15T17:31:00.004-05:00

"Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go."
-Herman Hesse
Ever screwed up so bad and just can't stop thinking about it, reliving it, having it replay over and over in your mind? It's not the greatest feeling.

*Sigh*... now that that's out of my system, I will move onto more ramblings. The picture above is of a sun conure, her name is Juliet. She was in the sunlight and preening her feathers and I thought it was most beautiful thing, so I took a quick photos.

Thanks for all of your name suggestions for Lanie, I'm still debating over what to call her. I haven't had much time for the AG's lately, unfortunately. Sorry I haven't been doing much posting with them, it's more of a bunch of rants (like this!)

I've seen more movies in the past week than I usually do in an entire year. I just don't go to the cinema at all usually, for whatever reason, but I just saw The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Tron, both in 3D (really, are there any movies not in 3D now?) Anyways, I liked them both, and just thought I would throw that random fact out there.

Also, I was bored today, so I threw together a slideshow of pictures to a song that I recently heard. None of the pictures are mine, credit where it is due!

So this post was completely random and kind of pointless, but oh well!
Adios,
-Brooke

Meet 'Curls'

2011-01-01T15:57:00.005-05:00

Lanie has arrived! I'm not sure if I like that name for her, though, so at the moment I'm just calling her 'Curls'. Does anyone have any name suggestions? Something unique, but not totally crazy.

I love her hair and her eyes are beautiful. I got her as a Christmas present (the first AG I've gotten for a present in a long time). I hadn't had the time to take pictures until today. And of course, it RAINED. It poured, and melted all of the snow we had, which was several inches. Uh... So I went outside into the dreary snow-less backyard to take some pictures.

*warning - this is where the post gets really rant-y and self pity-like XD*

Okay, so on the the topic of photographs... mine have really been terrible lately and I find myself having to do a lot of editing just to make them presentable. I try to resize them, but it always makes them blurry. Plus they just haven't been that great to start out with. As far as point and shoots go, I love my Kodak and it has taken some great shots. It's just really fussy half of the time and not getting good pictures at all lately. I find myself really wanting a DSLR when I see all the great photos people take with them, but I know it's probably never going to happen. It's frustrating me and I don't know what's up at the moment since every picture I take lately is turning out just plain bad. I guess I'm just in a rut or something.

*rant over*

Moving on! Anyways, that's "Lanie" - or that's what I'm calling her temporarily. I like the environmental part of her story, I think I'll build off of that. I've been progressively thinning out my collection and not really talking about it much. I forgot the 'new doll hype' feeling, if you know what I mean. :D Sorry, that sounds really greedy/materialistic.

Well, I'm still not sure on names, so if you have any suggestions, be sure to comment!
-Brooke

Two Years

2010-12-27T19:03:00.001-05:00

It's Avery-Here's second blog-o-versary (yes... I made that word up). I can't believe it's been two years since I started this blog. I can tell how much my writing/photography has really improved. Seriously. It's drastic. :P As much as I hate this saying - time really does fly with you're having fun. Thank you to all my readers who put up with my long absences, rants, terrible posts and photos, etc. I really do appreciate it. I wish I could give you all a gold star and a cookie.

I hope everyone is having a happy holiday and new year! A post to come in the near future with my Christmas gift and the newest arrival. Aha, suspense!
-Brooke

2010-12-25T16:54:00.002-05:00

Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist. - Rene Magritte

(larger flickr version here)
---
I really like how this turned out (my favorite photo in a while). I was playing around with settings on my camera, and somehow I made the pictures all very dark. With some minor editing in color, softening, and text, this was the result!

---
Happy holidays, everyone! :)
-Brooke, Avery, and the gang

Snowy Days (and random pictures)

2010-12-19T14:14:00.005-05:00

Finally, some snow pictures! There has been a huge amount of snow where I live for the last week or so, but I'm just now finding the time to take pictures. And these photos are horrible. I cannot find my camera so I had to use an old one that is broken, but still sort of works, haha! Anyways, this is Elizabeth in the woods. She's wearing Felicity's holiday gown, but I always thought AG messed up and switched Elizabeth and Felicity's dresses around. (Elizabeth looks better in blue, and Felicity looks better in green. Just my opinion. :/)

Now for the random pictures part! Insert random inspirational pictures here! I'm too lazy to make a separate post... :P

Happy Holidays,
-Brooke

Randomness

2010-12-13T19:02:00.004-05:00

This post is exactly what the title entails - randomness! I'm bored and haven't updated in a while, so thought I would ramble a little bit. A huge storm hit last night and there's so much snow. It looks like a winter wonderland. I was going to take pictures, but I was too lazy and it is freezing (below 0 degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill - brrr!). So, instead I include the sunny, warm picture of a horse that I took what seems like ages ago when I was on vacation. Yeah, I literally walked down the road from the beach to this pasture on the side of the road and took a picture. I'm weird like that.

Things are pretty good, I'd like to say. (I. Did. Awesome. In. Exams. :D :D :D x1,000. I would brag for a second, but I really don't want to for fear of coming off as arrogant/selfish/all that other stuff.) The holidays are coming up, and that means sort of a break. Hopefully I'll get some posts/photos in.

I LOVE THE WHIFFENPOOFS. Specifically BEN WEXLER. ♥Yeah... that was weird. I think I owe some explanation to that statement. Well, I'm not a huge fan of TV in general, pretty much everything is terrible, especially reality shows. But NBC's "The Sing Off" caught my interest. It's an a capella singing competition. One of the competitors were the group from Yale called the Whiffenpoofs. I love their voices and the arrangements. :) They were eliminated, but now I'm addicted to them, haha. Sorry for the random "fangirling". Speaking of Yale (the Whiffs' are a collegiate group that has been around for over a century), wouldn't that be an awesome school to go to? It's one of the top in country. I doubt I'll be admitted there anytime soon, though.

Well, there you have it. Rambling at its finest.
Over and out,
-Brooke

PS: My youtube channel is undergoing some modification, so no videos are up right now. They're still "out there" if you search, just the module that shows them isn't applied to my channel. No worries. ;)

La Lumière de la Vie

2010-11-29T18:38:00.005-05:00

Life is a lot like candle light
So vibrant and bright
But so easily snuffed out.

Rest In Peace E.L. ♥
[an acquaintance of mine who passed away from a car accident. D': ]

The Tridge

2010-11-27T18:14:00.004-05:00

What is a 'Tridge', you may ask? Well, it is just what it sounds like. A bridge with three spans! (Picture is not mine, but I hope it helps give a better picture of what the Tridge actually is.)
It's quite cool, actually. Last weekend I was in the town where it was located and shot some pictures. I have to say I'm very pleased with how they turned out. These are all SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) - meaning there was no editing! All I did was crop them and give them the sepia tone (yeah.. I'm addicted to black and white/sepia). Honestly, I usually do a little bit of color-enhancement, contrast, adjust the brightness levels, etc. Just making small tweaks that improve the photo, but these I really didn't want to, or need to. I think these are my best photos in a long time.

This is a view from the bank of the river. I like how the branches of the tree sort of 'frame' the photo. The texture from the smooth and rippling water is nice as well.

This is a picture standing at the entry to go on to one of the spans. The walkway sort of leads in to the distance in this shot, which I like. It's a foot bridge - meaning only walking, or biking, roller blading, etc. I love the light and the shadows, it creates a lot of good, contrasting lines.

The last and final of the three best shots of the day. This one is darker than the other ones, but I think it has the best picture of the water. The reflection is perfect! When I looked at the thumbnail, it almost looked upside down since it's such a mirror image in the water. The brambles of twigs creep up the edge of the photo, too.

---

Well, some more photography. I really like these three shots for some reason, I'm not why. Hope you enjoy them as well!
-Brooke

Can You See Me?

2010-11-26T14:44:00.003-05:00

Can you see me
Through the ivy
Climbing up the wall?

Can you see me
Through the raindrops
Falling to the ground?

Can you see me
Through the sun light
Glinting up above?

Can you see me
In your dreams
When I catch you as you fall?

---

I know, I know, it's becoming a terrible habit of mine to post in poem form. I hope my awful writing doesn't annoy you all too much. But this is a post, none the less! Two in the past few days, that's pretty good for me, haha! Anyways, I have a shed in my yard and it has these vines growing up the sides. I was outside yesterday looking for a place to take a picture, and I realized I could take it there! It's a really nice place, actually, I'm sorry I didn't think of it sooner.

Black And White

2010-11-24T13:56:00.007-05:00

"Black and white are starkly different, but they make many shades of gray."-Moi

A glance around me shows
The world is content,
Yet I am not.
The distant thought hiding
Will not surface.

The world is not simply
Made of good and evil
Right and wrong.
Black and white.
So many things lie in between.

My shell, my armor
May protect my physical being,
But it cannot protect my mentality.

What is worth it?
Worth the tears, the sacrifice?
They say it's the
The simple beauties.
The everyday miracles.
But even I
No longer see the novelty.

Empty.
Broken.
I am.

Well... that was rather depressing, wasn't it? Yeah, sorry for the dark poem up there. ^-^ I'm not suicidal or anything, I promise. The inspiration just kind of hit me. Black and white photos usually do that - inspire. I don't think it's a big secret that I love black and white photography. It's an unhealthy obsession, haha! I think it's classy, elegant, vintage, and has an feeling of mystery as well.

Some photos just demand to be taken in these tones, like the ones I included. These are the last in my secret storage of never-before-seen photos. I took them Spring of 2010, but just for myself. I didn't think they turned out very well (the first one looks like an illustration?) but since I've neglected this blog so much, I decided to post them.

Anyways, I again apologize for the lack of posts, but in this one I'm going to bore you with random facts about myself! Yipee! In light of a recent lovely (sarcasm - it was really troll-ish) message I received on flickr, I'm in a pretty good mood. Well that's a contradictory sentence, now isn't it? People who try to insult you 'lyk dis' amuse me and I find it pretty funny. My troubles seem quite small after I hear those crazies. It's like a good friend of mine said "Every time I read something like that, it reminds how stupid all the people are around me." Not implying that those reading this or stupid, or anything. I think you get the point. :)
So, I feel like I rant about everything and have had this blog for almost two years, yet no one really knows all that much about me outside of the AG's. I thought I would share some random facts about myself, not like anyone really cares...

Now for the fun part! Random facts:

AP Bio is my favorite school subject. It's an insane amount of work, but I love it!
I've met the man who was the first person to teach genetics in Russia.
I'm a nerd. Plain and simple. Which is why I find the above fact interesting.
My birthday is September 11th. :/
I could eat raw cookie dough until I barf :P
I've never dyed my hair.
I love Harry Potter (hopefully seeing the seventh movie this weekend)
Glee is my guilty pleasure. Every time I see it, I think how stupid it is, but yet there I am, watching it and having a smile on my face.
I'm really, really socially awkward, shy, and quiet in real life.
I like creative writing, but I never finish any stories I start.
I wish I could draw figures, like people. I'm a decent artist, but anywhere near as good as I'd like.
All my grandparents have passed away.
Chinese movies are the most hilarious things on the planet.
I've never gotten less than an A- on a report card. :D
I play soccer, volleyball, basketball, and run cross country.
Jeopardy! is an awesome show.
I love band!
I'm a fan of anti-humor, the punch line of a joke is so logical it's funny. Example - "What does the man say when he burns his finger on the stove? Ouch, that hurt!" "What's red and has the consistency of blue paint? Red paint." ... Reading this, it sounds really stupid. I guess it's a QB thing.
I've never broken a bone.
I'm a terrible dancer. Emphasis on the terrible.
I haven't worn a dress in... who knows how long.
I've jumped 20 feet off of a cliff/ledge and into a river. It's pretty exhilarating, not 'gonna lie. ;D

Okay, congratulations if you actually read through all that. Thank you if read through it, and actually cared and/ or found it weird/interesting/random. Well, I was bored and had nothing else to do. (Well actually, I have a lot of stuff to do but I'm procrastinating...)

Over and out!
-Brooke

*Disclaimer: Not that they're much to begin with, and I think you're crazy if you want to steal them, but all quotes, poems, and pictures are my property!

Cricket Chirp? Echo?

2010-11-20T17:03:00.003-05:00

I feel bad. Just plain bad. I haven't updated in over four weeks! That's absolutely terrible, and I'm so sorry. And even in this post to say sorry, I don't even have anything of relevance. No photos, no stories, nothing. The AG's haven't gotten much attention lately. I'm very busy. Mainly school work, especially AP Bio. I love it to death, but and it's a very large course load. Eek! College!

Hopefully during Thanksgiving Break I'll have some free time for pictures and posts.
-Brooke

Lissie in the Autumn

2010-10-22T16:59:00.003-04:00

The coppery leaves
Match her hair
As it blows gently in the cool breeze.

Her yellow skirt ruffles
Butter-colored leaves chasing at her hem
It is autumn.

Here We Go Again

2010-10-19T16:32:00.003-04:00

It seems like these posts are almost routine now. By this time you get the drill, this is the usual post that says "So sorry I haven't posted very much I'm just so busy!" And that's exactly the case. College classes suck up a lot of your time, not to mention extra curricular activities, friends/family, etc.

So in a way I'm sorry, but in another way I'm not because school comes first and posting on this blog isn't necessary. :(

Anyways, I haven't been able to spend much time with the dolls lately. I'm busy, but I feel myself drifting away from them, like how I drifted away in 2007. A part of me wants to get Lanie and some Felicity things, but a part of me is screaming "NO! You're just going to grow out of it soon so why even bother?!" That's the thing with AG. It's turned me into a consumer-machine, always wanting more and more. It's saddening to think about.

Anyways, apologies for being non-existent. :(
Included is a (semi) recent picture of Ivy to make this post somewhat relevant. I know these posts are nonsense and everyone hates reading them, sorry for that too.
-Brooke

Explored? What? :)

2010-10-05T16:40:00.002-04:00

Yes, this photo was explored on flickr! :) It is of autumn leaves in my backyard. I'm so proud of my little Kodak point and shoot. You see that? It's bokeh! haha
This is quite the good news. I had no idea, so it is great to hear. It couldn't have come at a better moment.

So, just thought I'd share. I still have another post planned for this week. Yay for spare time!

-"Brooke"
^Someone asked me in a message a while ago, and no it's not my real name. Just a pseudonym that I use for online and when I write. I just thought I'd address that. :)

Floraison Octobre

2010-10-03T15:18:00.007-04:00

Floraison Octobre - Blooming October

...
And that was the day that I promised
I'd never sing of love
If it does not exist
...
Maybe I know, somewhere
Deep in my soul
That love never lasts
And we're got to find other ways
To make it alone
Keep a straight face
...
And I've always lived like this
Keeping a comfortable, distance
And up until now
I had sworn to myself that I'm
Content with loneliness
...
Because none of it was ever worth the risk
...
I've got a tight grip on reality
But I can't
Let go of what's in front of me here
I know you're leaving
In the morning, when you wake up
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream
...
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
You are the only exception
...
And I'm on my way to believing
Oh, And I'm on my way to believing

...

[I'm a fairly depressing mood for some reason. It's a combination of things (but I'm not getting into that... not that you'd want to hear it anyways) along with the weather. Cold, rainy, and windy.
The pictures above are the same, taken earlier this summer. I was bored so uploaded them, did some editing, and tada!
The one of the left reflects a more jubilant mood, the one on the right represents my current depressed feeling.
The Lyrics are The Only Exception - Paramore. I heard this song on the radio a while ago (I knew it before Glee... so yeah) and I really liked it. I'm trying to learn it on piano, though that's pretty much a failure.
Sorry for my selective copying down of lyrics, I left some chorus out and a few lines of the verse. Don't shoot me.
Sorry for not posting much too. AP Bio's a killer. Along with the rest of my busy schedule.
I do have a photo or two in store for this week, though. Not that anyone reads this blog much anymore, haha! It's been neglected lately, and not even about AG's (but the upcoming photos are!). Sorry about that. And sorry for all the apologizing :P , I just feel I need to.]
[[-Brooke]]

2010-09-27T20:54:00.002-04:00

Hello, anybody home? Yes, we're here. But demanding schedule equals little time for pictures or blogging. :( Sorry for being non-existent, hopefully things will settle down and on the weekend there may, or may not be time for a small post or a photo or two.

Included is a fairly old shot of my cat from the summer. It was on flickr, so some of you may have seen it before. But I felt the need to include something of relevance.

-Brooke

2010-09-06T19:07:00.004-04:00

Going back to school is like a rainbow. You have the dismal rain and dark skies, but then there's those short beams of sunshine and the rays of colorful light that make it all worth it.

That's how I'm feeling at the moment. I'm not quite sure how to feel about going to a new school. In a way I'm excited and can't wait, and in another way I'm sad to leave my friends and am dreading all the work that the school year will bring.

It is back-to-school-eve (yes, I made that up) and I'm just getting the finishing touches done. I'm moved into my dorm room and share it with a few girls that seem all right. I have my backpack ready to go and I checked out my textbooks yesterday. All that's left is tomorrow, the first day!

Wish me luck,
- Avery Voisin

PS: The photo included is of Gwen outside on the porch this evening. Isn't she lovely? :)

School

2010-09-02T09:50:00.008-04:00

{Hello, all! This is guest blogger Marisol.}

School and the frantic behavior that always accompanies first day back is upon us. Everyone is scrambling to get moved into their dorms and get ready, while catching up with old friends they haven't seen over summer. It's a slightly crazy time, these last few days before school begins. Mondale starts on the seventh! It's hard to believe we're so close to starting back up. Summer passed by very fast, in my opinion. I went back to Illinois to see my family and some old friends.

I love my schedule this year. I'm taking gym and Spanish as my electives along with dancing as an extra curricular (our school has a club/organization for just about everything) plus the required subjects of course. I have quite a few classes with friends! I'm also in a dorm room where I know many of the other girls from last year.

Well, I must continue getting my school books and preparing for the first day!

Adiós,
~Marisol Isabella Luna~

{A note from the human: I'm sorry that the picture is absolutely horrid. It was dark and came out blurry, but I managed to make it presentable. Barely. So sorry about the bad quality and small size of the picture! Also, the books behind her are mine... and in no way are they textbooks. :P }

Felicity & Elizabeth

2010-08-27T14:08:00.005-04:00

"Elizabeth?" the redhead asked, looking over to the girl doing her sewing.

"Yes, Felicity?" she responded, setting down her needle and thread and looking towards her friend.

"It's a wonderful day, we should go outside," Felicity proposed, a smile spreading across her face. She loved to run around the field, picking flowers and climbing trees. The warm sunny day was especially inviting, and she did not want to be stuffed up indoors.

"That sounds nice," Elizabeth said. "Just let me get my bonnet and shoes and I'll be right out."

"Lizzie, you don't need those! No one is watching," Felicity said, eager to get outside. She gave the blond a pleading look.

"Oh, all right." Elizabeth gave in after a bit of thought and followed Felicity out the door and into the fresh air. Lissie could always end up convincing her. She really was a bad influence, breaking most of the rules set forth, but the two always wound up having a good time and nothing else seemed to matter.

Outside, the girls were free to do as they wish. Running around barefoot with the sun on their cheeks, because they were in their own world having fun where nothing was expected of them.{A short tribute of sorts to these two lovely ladies. Word on the street is they're being archived. D': I didn't want to do the usual "OMG they're gone!" post, but something that embraces the dolls' characters and history, etc. and does not focus on the archival, but the dolls themselves. If that makes any sense. Something tells me I've put too much thought into this. -Brooke}

School

2010-08-24T13:32:00.006-04:00

I couldn't think of a wittier title at the moment, I'm just so out of it. It seems to sum up everything anyways. I've been in my pajamas for days, doing nothing but reading by the window sill and sneaking éclairs from the kitchen.

The sky reflects how I feel at this moment. Bleak. Gray. Dull. Depressed. Threatening to rain. Except in my case, it would be tears.

You may remember my post about Rosenbrock Academy and the orientation all the way back in May. It seems so long ago! Well, not much was heard about it on the blog after that, but Ruthie's recent post kind of brought back all the memories. (All the linking is over now, I promise.)
I made the decision to attend Rosenbrock, at least for the first semester to see how things go. I have to say it was the hardest decision I've had to make, except for agreeing to come to the United States when I was nine for school in the first place. But that choice was sort of made for me. This one was all my doing... and, I went for it. I took a risk by accepting, and I just hope it pays off.

My friends are mad at me. I don't have many to begin with, and I haven't been doing much with them lately, but I still consider Ivy, Nellie, and even Erin as friends. And they all seem to hate me for leaving them. Well, it's Ivy and Erin who are outright mad. But it's Nellie's... almost disappointment that gets to me the most. She's not the type to be angry, but I'd almost rather she was instead of this. I'm not abandoning them, I'm just going to a new school! But they don't seem to understand. I'd like to think that nothing would change between us, but I know it's foolish to believe that as well.

I got my schedule today.

Homeroom: Grade 9 V-Z - Mr. Vineyard
First Hour: Biology - Ms. McKinder
Second Hour: English - Mr. Stockwell
Third Hour: Gym - Ms. O'Brien
Fourth Hour: Geometry - Mr. Armstead
A Lunch
Fifth Hour: History - Mrs. Bravermann
Sixth Hour: Orchestra - Mr. Julian
Dorm 109

I met a few of the teachers in orientation, but most I do not know. I will be officially moving out of my Mondale dorm within the week, and moving in to Rosenbrock's. It's the strangest feeling, really quite sad, to be around things so familiar for what could be the last time. Yet, at the same time it's also so exciting. But that part is dulled by the sadness, unfortunately.

Yours Truly,
Avery-Marie Voisin

Evening Sun

2010-08-21T12:31:00.007-04:00

Is there nothing better than the lighting at early morning or late evening? Nope! :) This was really an impulse photo shoot. I saw the great light when I got home and scrambled to get some pictures taken! You know you're a little obsessed when you can't pass up an opportunity to photograph your dolls. :/

Elizabeth and Ruthie time traveled for this photo shoot! If you haven't noticed already, I'm not very strict about keeping my dolls in their time periods. I do try, but they always end up in colonial gowns or a t-shirt and jeans at some point.

They're both wearing dresses made by Heritage Dolls Fashions. Elizabeth has a recreation of Samantha's icecream dress, which was seen in book illustrations. The red dress Ruthie is wearing is called the Toy Soldier. It's not explicitly made for the 1904 time period, but I thought it fit well enough.

Even the colors were nice in these; with Elizabeth's bright blue eyes, Ruthie's stunning red dress, and the black-eyed susan's in the background, I decided to put the photos in a sepia tone with a dark brown vignette. That's another one of my "obsessions" black and white/sepia photography. I just love old time feel.So Elizabeth and Ruthie ran around outside while I snapped pictures of their excursion. I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out, actually. I've kind of been looking in to getting a DSLR camera of some sort, but the price is scaring me a little, even though I know it would be a good investment. But my little Kodak digital camera seems to be doing just fine, even though it will act up on occasion.

I'd also like to thank everyone for all the super-nice comments I've been getting lately. I'm glad you guys like the descriptive stories that sometimes accompany my photos. I was thinking that it might be a little too much, but it seems I'm wrong! Sorry that I couldn't have one of those stories for this post as well, my muse is rather low at the moment.

Ranting aside, I hope you enjoy the post! Yeah, I've posted three times within the week! Unbelievable, right? I guess I've been re-bitten by the blogging bug.

-Brooke

Mystery at Midnight

2010-08-19T18:15:00.004-04:00

As the clock tower chimed twelve in the small town of Yorkshire, a dark, cloaked figure stepped into the dim light cast by street lamps. The cobbled streets were deserted, fortunately, for if they weren't it would look entirely suspicious. The mysterious person hurriedly made their way across town, stopping every so often to lurk in the shadows of a building or alley. Scurrying down Main Street, the person looked around before crossing over to Williams Avenue, where they continued their journey.

At the very last building, a shop that had been abandoned for years, the figure stopped and waited. A minute passed before another body approached, pausing at the same place. They nodded at each other before getting down to business.

"Agent Parkington, the file?" the newest arrival asked in a voice so quiet it was barely audible. The young woman who was addressed pulled out a single, manila folder from the depths of her cloak and handed it to her acquaintance.

"Very well," the other agent whispered, and in exchange they too pulled out a file, though this one much thicker, from their trench coat. A gloved hand held it out to Agent Parkington, and the brunette quickly grabbed it and stashed it away.

Not another word was said, and with another curt nod, they both went their separate ways, the quiet steps the only sound to break the night silence. After turning a corner, the other agent was out of sight and Agent Parkington, as she was known, quickly went from a brisk walk to a full out run. Finally she reached the safety of headquarters and slipped inside. A sly smile formed on her lips. Another successful mission completed.

{A mysterious, yet fun, post with no real meaning. Interpret it as you wish.}

Reminiscing with Jess

2010-08-16T11:44:00.002-04:00

Jess here, everyone.
A few years back, I went with my parents on a trip to Belize and boy did I love it! My mom and dad are both archeologists, so I accompanied them on a dig. It was so interesting to learn about the Mayan people that once lived there. I even made I friend, Sarita Bol, and we had quite a few adventures together. Even though we're not close anymore, we occasionally write to each other.

Thinking about Belize makes me a little homesick. It wasn't my home, technically, but it had been for a whole summer and that's the only way I can think of to describe it. I miss the weather, the culture, the people I met while I was there. Staying at home for the whole vacation seems boring in comparison. Nothing here is like the rain forests of Belize! I included an old snapshot of me while we were there. Looking at it makes me want to go back! Maybe someday...

-Jess Akiko McConnell
Guest Blogger

Retour à partir de Paradis

2010-08-12T17:14:00.009-04:00

{return from paradise}

That's right, I took an unannounced leave, not that you all noticed anyways since I've been horrible about posting lately. But I have returned from this impromptu rendezvous, which was wonderful might I add. And the destination is, you may ask? After a fifteen minute boat ride from the mainland and I arrived on Mackinac Island.

It is literally one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, despite all the tourists and fudge shoppes! The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, the architecture amazing, and the whole "atmosphere" was just incredible. It was an absolutely stunning place to be, chock full of history and gorgeous, undisturbed, nature. Eighty percent of the island is national park, and I biked around the entire circumference (8.2 miles). Almost all motor vehicles are banned on the island, with the exception of a firetruck or two, so to get around you have to bike, or ride in a horse and buggy. I did both, haha! The island actually has more horses than people; there are only just over five hundred year round residents, compared to 475 horses owned by just one company (there about two others, plus independently owned!). Another interesting fact is that is completely illegal to pick any flowers! You can be fined up to one hundred dollars for each flower, depending on the kind. You can also get a speeding ticket on a bicycle! A few things that I found intriguing that I would share.

Endless nature trails combined with a historic downtown section and a fort from the late 1700's make for one magnificent area. I took many a photograph, the best two of which I will share. I'm not the greatest at photography and I know these aren't the best, but it was a blast going around taking pictures even if it made it obvious that you were a "fudgie" (what locals call tourists).

The first photo you see is of Arch Rock, my personal favorite location within the entire island. It is absolutely magnificent to see in person, pictures really do not do it any justice. The view is literally breathtaking, and humbling as you stand there looking out onto the lake, with no sounds except the crash of waves and the occasional bird chirp. It was especially neat because some brave soul headed into the water and assembled stones in the shape of a heart. It is a little hard to see in this smaller but photo, but the larger version is on my flickr.
Arch Rock stands 146 feet above the water, and is composed of limestone, which is rare for a natural bridge since it is not the best material for stability. Yet the rock still stands.
Just a note; there is extremely little editing done to this photo, nothing more than a simple crop, re-sizing, and a few little tweaks. These are the true colours captured, first hand they are even more stunning but the water was really all those shades of beautiful blue.

The next picture is in front of the Grand Hotel, my second favorite place. Construction began in 1886 and it was finished in well under a year (I remember reading something that said somewhere along with line of three months with over 300 workers, but can't verify that), which was quite a feat for a building of that size in that era. It has the longest covered porch in the entire world at over 660 feet. Five presidents have stayed there over the years along with Thomas Edison and Mark Twain. This particular shot was actually taken while I myself was on a horse and carriage ride. We were passing by the hotel and I just happened to get a quick picture in, and I love the way it turned out. The colors were nice, but it looks especially nice in black and white, I think.

Sorry if this has bored you to death, and sorry that it is extremely off topic, but I'm pretty interested and enthusiastic in these sorts of things, if you couldn't tell.
-"Brooke"
{^For those of you wondering, it is indeed a pseudonym.}

PS: I'm thinking of taking this blog in a new direction. Higher quality posts, more pictures, etc. There's a new layout/design to go with this, do you like it?

Blueberry Picking - Cueillette De Bleuets

2010-07-31T14:34:00.006-04:00

Outside in the sun
Fruit ripe, ready for picking
Hair blows in the breeze

It is a wonderful day, the perfect kind; sunny but not humid, warm with a cool breeze. What better to do than to get outside with such fine weather! Mia noticed that the blueberries were beginning to ripen about a week ago, and went back to check them today to find them ready to pick! The tangy but sweet blue fruits are Miss St. Clair's favorite, so she found it especially pleasing when moving here to learn that Mondale had its own bushes out back for a continuous supply of berries throughout the late summer months.

This is the first 'harvest' that many have been looking forward to! Mia has a whole basket full of blueberries, perhaps we'll bake a pie later?

---

On another note, I (Brooke) am getting very fed up with flickr/picnik. I keep trying to re-size photos and it destroys the quality of them. :/
I don't know if it's a setting on my camera or what, but it is getting really frustrating, so that is part of the reason there is a lack of pictures lately. I hope that made sense.

-Brooke

Au revoir

2010-07-20T09:59:00.002-04:00

Adieu mes amis!

Goodbye, everyone! We will be gone today {20 July} til probably Sunday {25 July}. There are no scheduled posts, because I'm lazy. :P But there was a big picture post just a day or two ago, so I hope that compensates. Sorry that we won't be able to update, comment, or read other blogs for the next five days.

-Avery and friends

Sonali's voyage à l'étang

2010-07-18T15:15:00.006-04:00

{Translation: Sonali's journey to the pond}

There is a little known place here in Yorkshire, the name is Wickham Pond. Most people don't know of its existence, even the locals. If they have indeed heard of it, few have ventured out that far into the wood. A complicated series of directions has you head deeper and deeper into the mysterious forest. Many turn around before they arrive. Only a few have been there, one of them being Mondale's own Kit Kittredge. The resident explorer, she came across the pond one day. With directions from Kit, Sonali thought she would do the same and try to find the area.

She stepped outside and found the followed the first step Kit had told her, head to the back of the last acre of land at Mondale, where the forest begins. Students aren't normally allowed back that far, for fear of being lost, but the girl quickly sneaked out and ran back. With a little looking at the trees' edge, she found the dark entrance to a path, like Kit had said there would be. She followed the winding trail through a birch tree grove. Sonali maneuvered through the thicket, heading down the dirt path that was not trodden down from the travels of feet, but beginning to become overgrown with grasses. Coming to a fork in the trail, she remembered to go left as her new friend had told her. Continuing on her journey, she spotted the landmark Kit had mentioned, a dilapidated old cabin that had been abandoned for years. It was here that Sonali stopped to catch her breath, taking a seat on the old porch. It was slightly early with nothing else sitting there except a rusty old watering can, and silent except for the sound of birds and the other various creatures that inhabited the area. She quickly moved on.

A little spooked at being all alone, she went on hastily and her pace quickened. Straining her ears, Sonali thought she could hear the distant trickle of water, a sound that became stronger and stronger as she continued on. Her mood brightened considerably after this, where there is water, there should be a pond! Coming out of the deep woods, there was a stone pathway leading to an old wooden bridge that stretched across a clear stream. It was quite old, and Sonali wasn't even sure if it could hold her! Kit had reassured the girl that it was safe enough to walk over, but she was still a little skeptic of the idea. Splashing and swimming in the water would be fun, but not when she was wearing a white sundress! After testing its stability, Sonali gave in, seeing it as the only way to the pond, and scampered across. She came to the other side, the stone path leading back into the woods then ending abruptly, leaving more dirt trail to travel.

Sonali progressed along the trail, all the while looking around at the tranquil, undisturbed forest. Soon the trees began to thin, and she came to a clearing of tall grasses and brightly colored wild flowers. Being the school girl that she is, she began skipping through the meadow and thoroughly enjoyed herself for a few minutes, completely forgetting the purpose of the journey as she let her imagination run free. Remembering that she still needed to get to the pond, Sonali started walking towards the other side of the pasture and came to a passage through the trees. It was a shorter distance this time, and the girl could see light coming in from the end. Stepping out into yet another clearing, she saw the pond! Stones surrounded the edges along with water plants, ferns, and more flowers. The pond's surface was as smooth as a sheet of glass. She perched herself on the edge, quickly taking off her shoes and splashing in the cool, clear water.

Sonali could tell that not many people had been here, which made it all the more special.

La Fin

---

So, this is the celebratory post dedicated to my 73 followers! Thank you so much, everyone, I really appreciate you all.
I know, this post is pretty lame and not really as special as I'd like it to be. It's probably fairly boring with the copious amounts of text, and I wouldn't blame you if you just skimmed through and glanced at the (sadly mediocre) photos. But, you guys asked for outdoor, garden pictures with couture (she's wearing a Heritage Doll Fashions/Heritage Clothesline dress), and a photo story, so that's what I tried to give you! I tried putting this into a 'scrapbook' format, but I was having a tough time finding a website that was free, etc.
I hope you like it! Thanks everyone.

-Brooke

Avery-Here Celebrates 70 Followers!

2010-07-13T19:04:00.005-04:00

Yep, we did it! Thank you so much everyone! I can't believe how many people read this blog, it's really quite surprising. All of you who read and comment mean so much to me. No seriously, you do! This blog has really given me a place to share my interest with others who "get it", through posting photos and telling stories. Thank you all so much for putting up with me over a year and a half now. :P Looking back on old posts, I can see how much I've grown, as a writer, photographer, and person in general.

Now, moving on from that mushy-gushy stuff above. Who's ready to partayyy?!? :) Haha, I know I am! If you have suggestions for things to do to celebrate (example: stop motion, photo story, Q & A) please post them as a comment here. < That post also explains it a little more, plus it's easier to keep it all organized in just one post. I'll try to do as much as I can for you guys. Suggestions will be closed by July 16.

Thank you all so much!
-Brooke

*Please excuse my horrible handwriting ;)

Guess What...?!?

2010-07-12T12:56:00.003-04:00

I just realized that this blog has 68 followers! Thank you so much you guys. :D
So to thank my readers, I'm going to have a 70 followers "celebration", of sorts. You guys can suggest things (in the comments) to do when I reach 70 (which I consider a milestone, and that's only 2 more!).

For example; photos of a certain doll or outfit you want to see, a stop motion, any video, photo stories, a contest, a Q & A, etc. Things like that. I'm open for anything and everything, so keep the suggestions coming!

Once again, thank you all so much.
-Brooke and Avery

Out By The Flowers

2010-07-08T13:52:00.002-04:00

It's a sunny day here, and Jasmine/Lina/Jocelyn (her name is all over the place, as is her "personality") took advantage of the warm (VERY WARM) weather. ;P
The garden is slowly wilting in the summer heat and most of the flowers have had their reign, but a few remain.

There's been a major heat wave as of late, making for miserable times. The temperature I could maybe handle, but it's the humidity that really zaps the energy right out of you. Especially when you live where temperatures rarely get over 85 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer!

But, even with the heat, I have newfound inspiration for taking pictures, so stay tuned!

Liz in The Garden

2010-06-24T16:29:00.003-04:00

There has been surprisingly wonderful weather here in Yorkshire as of late, just the kind we enjoy. Warm and sunny, with a bright blue sky dotted with puffs of white clouds, and just the slightest hint of a cool breeze. Doesn't that paint of lovely picture?

Now, imagine a blonde girl with shiny golden pin curls framing her face, in a butter yellow summer dress. She's running about the garden in her bare feet, her fair skin turning red from the sun. Her blue eyes are filled with wonder as she roams about the colourful flowers. A dream-like atmosphere ensues, with only the slightest of sound and a blur of beautiful scenery.

I'm feeling rather descriptive today, can you tell? (:

-Brooke

Photography Feature

2010-06-17T14:32:00.005-04:00

Art Photography/Color Select

Experimenting with some new editing techniques today, and posting some long over due photos! I stumbled across this picture, and used it as an inspiration for my own AG version.

It kinda looks like the eye is messed up, but it is just the way the light happened to fall. I had fun with this shoot though, it's a bit more artsy than other things that I have done before, and I've never really used a pre existing photograph for inspiration before.
-Brooke

Summer

2010-06-10T21:08:00.000-04:00

Summer is here soon! You know what that means? MORE TIME TO POST! Sorry for being non-existent. :)

Rosenbrock Academy Orientation

2010-05-30T15:31:00.008-04:00

I accepted the invitation to visit Rosenbrock for an orientation, meeting teachers, students, and looking around the campus. I went this Friday (5/28/10) and it actually went very well! I was shown around by Emma Adani, eighth grade student council president, Katie Kennedy, president of the Nation Junior Honor Society Rosenbrock Chapter, and Elle Sanders, president of Student Activities committee. The assistant principal, Miss Finley, also accompanied us on the tour.

Emma Adani

Emma: president of Rosenbrock's student council, and possibly the United States some day. She truly is the 'go-to' kind of girl, very loyal and reliable. From spending the day with her, I could tell she's very organized and on top of things all of the time. Emma is very helpful and gave me a lot of tips if I ended up coming to Rosenbrock. She loves to help out where ever she can and is very involved in the school and its many organizations and activities.

Katherine "Katie" Kennedy

Katie: president of NJHS and one of the most genuinely nice people I have ever met. She has a very happy demeanor and is extremely friendly. Katie talks a lot and is great at getting people into conversation. Even though we were basically complete strangers, she made me feel like I was her best friend.

Hazelle "Elle" Sanders

Elle: president of the Student Activities committee, and though not as personable and charismatic as Katie, she really knows how to handle things well. Elle's in charge of everything from sports teams, to the school paper, to the various clubs. She is bluntly honest and tells it like it is. Elle isn't quite mean, but doesn't sugar-coat anything. The truth hurts, I supposed, and she warned me of a few things at Rosenbrock.

Miss Jane Finley

Miss Finley: assistant principal at Rosenbrock and one of those teachers that are strict, yet nice. She doesn't tolerate nonsense, but is very nice if you stay on her good side. She taught English for twenty years before coming to her current position. She cares a lot about her students and wants the best for them.

Avery-Marie "Avery" Voisin

Avery: also known as me, the potential, brainy, new girl. After seeing Rosenbrock, I'm really not sure what to think. Mondale's still great... but things here aren't half bad, either.

Still thinking,
~Avery

Rosenbrock Orientation

2010-05-29T18:53:00.003-04:00

As stated in my previous post, I got an invitation to attend a new boarding school, called Rosenbrock, next year. They sent out an additional letter last Wednesday, saying that I could have an orientation Friday while school is still in session and meet some teaches, classmates, and see the building before making my decision.

The said the 8th grade student council class president, Emma Adani will be showing me around, along with Katherine Kennedy, president of the National Junior Honor Society, and Hazelle Sanders, president of the Student Activities committee.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to choose. Rosenbrock seems so nice, but all my friends are here at Mondale.

-Avery
(sorry for the lack of posts)

A Letter For Avery

2010-05-16T18:09:00.006-04:00

Mondale Preparatory Academy For Girls
c/o Avery-Marie V. Voisin: Dorm 12A
4597 Holland Lane
Yorkshire, MI 49123

Miss Voisin,
Officials in attendance at Mondale's annual eighth grade science fair were highly impressed by your experiment and research on the Leidenfrost Effect and your award of first place. Upon further investigation, we spoke to your counselor, Miss Jennifer Neil, who, legally, gave us a bit of information on you. We also were in contact with a few of your teachers, who spoke very highly of you, Avery.

With your outstanding academic performance and grade point average, not to mention your activity in the school band program, student council, soccer team, and Nation Junior Honor Society, we would like to cordially invite you to attend Rosenbrock Academy for your ninth grade year.

Rosenbrock is also a boarding school only about twenty miles from Mondale. It is an advanced academy for the academically gifted. We would be honored to have you attend on a full ride scholarship. Rosenbrock can challenge your mind, extend your learning, and help you to be the best that you can be.

Rosenbrock has an excellent mathematics and science department headed by Dr. Terry M. Gold, a graduate of the University of Michigan. There is also an English and Literature program, headed by Miss Nancy J. Simonds, of the University of Phoenix, and a History department lead by the Mr. Jason L. Douglas. Our music program has been recognized nationally for our streak of Division One's at competitions, and the conductor, Mr. Dylan W. Lolan, of Western University, has been in the field for over twenty-five years. There are many successful sport organizations, art and foreign language classes, clubs, and other student activities.

We have much to offer here, and would love for you to consider our offer. Please be in contact, and we can sort this out with yourself and family members.
-James K. Palmers (5/16/10)
Principal

Avery here, and I know not what to say. This letter arrived this morning. Could I be leaving Mondale...for good?

*The address and names in the post are completely fictional, and not meant to represent any real places or people. If, by chance, they are accurate, it is by pure coincidence. The names of the Universities, however, are not fictional, but the graduates are not meant to signify any real people.

Spring Time

2010-05-08T16:18:00.012-04:00

A glance outside from the window, you see partial sun, green grass, seemingly nice weather. Step outside, and there's fifteen mile per hour winds, a temperature of forty degrees, and foreboding, dark rain clouds in the distance. Are you sure it's spring?

The dolls had been dying to get outside, so I had scheduled a "spring party" outdoors with the new picnic table this weekend. Unfortunately, on the account of rain, the spring party was transferred indoors. Though inside, Sonali, Gwen, Nicki, Emily, Marisol, Ruthie, Mia, and Jess still had a good time. They talked, ate cookies, and played games. The silly girls even began singing! :P

It figures that the rain stopped as soon as the party was coming to a close. Either way, I wasn't complaining. Everyone quickly headed outside to splash in puddles and pose for some photos.

You can see all the spring photos here. The pictures included in the post are just a teaser :)
Models:
-Ruthie Smithens: Electric Turquoise Drawstring Dress by The Heritage Clothesline
-Nicki Fleming: Eyelet Spring Dress by The Heritage Clothesline
-Jess McConnell: Precious Pink Party Dress by Melody Valerie Couture
-Sonali Matthews: Dainty Dots Dress by Melody Valerie Couture
-Gwen Thompson: Chrissa's Meet Dress by American Girl
-Emily Bennett: Kit's Blue Bell Dress by The Heritage Clothesline
-Marisol Luna: Flower Garden Dress by American Girl
-Mia St. Clair: Chrissa's Sundress Dress paired with Sonali's Meet T-Shirt by American Girl

As you may or may not notice, we have two new dresses from the Heritage Clothesline. Micah does an amazing job, the quality, customer service, and price are great. The Electric Turquoise Drawstring dress is shown on Ruthie, and the Eyelet Spring dress is shown on Nicki. A big thank-you to The Heritage Clothesline!

Thanks for reading,
-Brooke

Sorry for not posting

2010-05-02T13:36:00.001-04:00

Sorry for being absent lately, I haven't updated in over a week! D:
Just wanted to drop by and let you all know that I'm still alive.
There should be pictures coming soon, I promise!

Adventure in the Woods

2010-04-22T18:30:00.006-04:00

circa April, 1854*

Lina and Kirsten quickly scampered outdoors, having just finished their chores. The two were practically inseparable when they were together, though they usually couldn't spend much time playing. Lina lived on the farm over from the Larsons and worked as a servant girl with her family. She was busy on the farm and had to work most of the time. The Larsons' neighbor, who owned the farm, was Johnathon Rhodes, a rather mean old man. He didn't let Lina off of chores very easily. The two still maintained their friendship, though, and were now, on a rare occasion, off to play.

It was a beautiful day, and they walked over the field, which was dotted with colourful wildflowers. The two girls giggled and picked the blooms as they approached the woods. They made their way into the cool shade and cover of the trees where reality seemed to disappear. After slipping off their boots and stockings, Lina and Kirsten splashed in the creek and played various games during the sunny afternoon. Too bad it couldn't always be this simple...
~*~*~*~*~

*As stated, this short story (which is poorly and quickly written) takes place in the 1850s. Sorry for the mild hints of slavery/servantry (more servant than slave!). I don't mean to offend anyone or get political, etc.
Minnesota, where Kirsten is said to live in the stories, was technically a free state, but it wasn't admitted into the Union until 1858. With its admittance to the Union, it was a free state, but I supposed there could have been some form of slavery or at least servants years prior. I have been writing about Lina and Kirsten on/off for a while, and thought I'd share.

Happy Earth Day! :D
-Brooke
PS: Sorry for the other dolls/myself taking over Avery's blog. I promise she IS alive, though there hasn't been any photos of her (and many others) since Valentine's Day... :( My poor, neglected dolls!

The Crafitness Continues: Picnic Table

2010-04-09T15:56:00.006-04:00

I may not be very good at sewing, but I do well with wood, haha! For some reason I've been feeling extremely creative lately, and decided to make my own version of Chrissa's Picnic Table.

With some scrap plywood, glue, nails, screws, and green/white paint I was able to make a pretty good rendition of the table, adding my own touches and adjusting measurements as well. It may not be perfect, and turned out a little smaller than I would have liked, but still, not too bad. I think it is pretty good for a quick afternoon project, and the dolls are glad to have a new table.

Since I've had zero spare time, a photo shoot will probably not be happening all that soon, but I just thought I should post. A spring party will be in the hopefully near future.

Liberty Jane Patterns Take 2: Military Green Modeled By Amelia St. Clair

2010-04-09T12:24:00.003-04:00

Our second shirt was made in a green fabric. I thought it was more of a military green, but possibly it's more olive colored. In the photos it looks almost gray, but in person it has much more of a green tone. Either way, it's another colour not used much by American Girl, so I'm glad to be able to add it to the dolls' wardrobe.

Anyways, all I can say about the second shirt is that it was a lot easier to make. The mint shirt took me about three to four hours (yeah, pretty sad), but this one only took an hour and half. I was able to fix the neckline, the sleeves came out better, there was no 'ruffle', and overall it turned out really nice. The fit on this version is better, too. I think it helped that I actually tried it on the doll as I was sewing :P There was only one careless mistake made, so I'm very pleased with this!

I know these shirts probably look extremely amateur and mediocre, especially to all you seamstresses out there, but I'm extremely proud of them since it's basically my first time making doll clothes, and they actually look good!

I immediately chose Mia to model this because of her pretty hazel eyes. They go great with the colour of the shirt. We paired the shirt with some distressed Liberty Jane jeans, flip flops, and accessorized with a blue necklace. I actually made the necklace last night as well. The beads were incredibly small, but it looks very nice.Both shirts turned out surprisingly well. I'm actually kind of amazed at how good they actually look! There's a lot of people to thank for the recent inspiration, including Libby/Nicki, Rose, Melody Valerie, and Sitara, among others. And of course, a HUGE thank-you to Liberty Jane for the pattern. It fun, easy to follow, and there were great results!

Liberty Jane Patterns Take 1: Cool Mint Modeled by Nicolette Fleming

2010-04-08T14:00:00.001-04:00

Due to various things, I was feeling rather crafty last night, and well... decided to try my hand at sewing.

Basically this was my first attempt at sewing doll clothes, and, though it isn't perfect, I'm very pleased with the outcome. Not too bad for someone who barely know show to operate a sewing machine!

The first shirt I made is in a cool, green/blue mint colour, perfect for summer. The shade almost reminds me of a breeze, or perhaps the crash of waves... Either way, I really like the fabric, which can look more green or blue in different lighting (in the photos, it's taking on more of a blue tone, but in reality it is more green). It is a relatively light weight, knit cotton that I thought would work nicely. The dolls here are in desperate need of some casual warm weather clothes, and I jumped at the opportunity to use a colour that American Girl rarely does.

After choosing my fabric, the next step was the pattern. I'm using the Liberty Jane T-Shirt pattern, and overall, it was really nice. They include good, step by step directions that are easy to follow (even for me, and that's saying something!). The sleeves were a bit of issue, but I was able to do all right, I suppose. I did have some trouble with the neckline, though, and getting the shirt to lay right. It was bunching up, and just kind of... wrong, for lack of a better word. I had to a little 'creative', per say, in the back with the snap closure to get it looking right.

Well, several somewhat frustrating hours later, we have a slightly wonky, but definitely acceptable shirt! It actually turned out quite nice, I have to say. Not couture quality, that's for sure, but a good start, considering it is our first.

The fabric, when hemming the bottom, actually 'ruffled' a bit. I think it was because the type of material used. It wasn't supposed to do that, but I actually kind of like it. The ruffle at the bottom gives it a nice touch, though it may be a little too young and girly looking. It makes our shirt a bit more unique, since everyone and their mother/sister/cousin/aunt/friend/etc. is using the pattern to make their own shirt. Liberty Jane warns about the type of fabric that stretches, and I think that was the kind we used, which is why the shirt has the weird looking bottom hem.

Nicolette, more commonly known as Nicki, was glad to model the new shirt. She got outside for a photo shoot, wearing the new top. We paired it with a jean skirt and western style boots for the warmer weather, and accessorized with a simple green necklace. I was surprised Miss Fleming actually wore a skirt, let alone her hair down, since she's quite the tom-boy. Nicki is one of those dolls that just loves to be outside. As she spends more time in the sun this spring, her freckles are getting darker and more apparent, and her sandy blond hair is lightening up a bit. Though, we weren't able to stay outside long because of rain!
Anyways, I think it turned out pretty good for our first real attempt at sewing any type of doll clothes. What do you think?

Up next: Liberty Jane Patterns Take 2: Military Green Modeled By Amelia St. Clair

Feeling rather crafty at the moment...

2010-04-07T15:06:00.007-04:00

Due to various things, I'm feeling rather crafty at the moment. Said various things would be:

The absolutely lovely swathes of couture that I have seen lately!
Inspiring posts from Nicki and Libby, Sitara, and Rose, just to name a few.
A recent, early spring photo shoot has also gotten me in the artistic mood. I wish I could share the pictures with you, since I think they turned out pretty good, but they're on my private blog and I'm too lazy to upload them all to here as well.
I've got quite a lot of time on my hands. Perfect for starting big projects!

Well, because of all this, I'm in the mood for sewing something. Now, just a heads up, I cannot sew to save my life. I can somewhat stitch by hand, and I barely know how to operate a sewing machine. The one mildly successful attempt at sewing can be seen here. To this day, I'm not quite sure how that turned out so well, haha!

Anyways, despite all this, I thought I would try my hand at sewing and become one of many people to use the Liberty Jane patterns. I have some lovely, dark military green knit cotton, and some mint green/blue as well, so I will be making some t-shirts (hopefully) tonight. It's some really nice fabric, so I hope I don't totally butcher it.

So, this is my project for tonight. It may possibly take longer than that, though. If I can even get a shirt made that looks like a pillow case with sleeves, I'll be thrilled. So, though the shirts may look horrid, humor me :)

Be prepared for a post showing off my mediocre talent as a seamstress in the near future.
-Brooke

PS: Thank you so much to my 51 (update, make that 52!) followers, and everyone who comments/reads the blog! You guys are the best. :)

Holy Toledo! That was fast!

2010-04-03T15:50:00.004-04:00

I just can't believe that the Melody Valerie Couture Spring Line is practically sold out all ready. Curse me for having a life and not being able to order the second they popped up online! Haha, just kidding! They were absolutely stunning dresses, though. My favorite was the 'Mint Vivacity', closely followed by the 'Sweet Darling'. Sadly, both are sold out, though the other dress, 'Stripes Ahoy!' is growing on me. Although I'm kind of depressed about the fact that the dresses I liked sold out (sorry to sound all spoiled-like here), I know that the people who did get the dresses will love them! Congrats on an extremely successful spring line, MVC! I'm so happy that you sold out so quickly!

Gwen's sleepover!

2010-03-31T16:03:00.010-04:00

Hello, everyone, this is guest blogger Gwen Thompson! This is my first time posting on the blog, which lately is more for all the girls here, and not just Avery. Life has been pretty busy, so sorry for the lack of updates.

Well, as you may or may not know, I moved to Yorkshire to attend Mondale Preparatory Academy, where my two best friends from Edgewater, Sonali and Chrissa, transferred. I missed them so much, not to mention that Mondale has an amazing orchestra program (I play the violin). So, here I am! Though, I almost feel bad about coming here. Because of me, Erin moved away. But, she still comes back for visits, so I suppose it's all right.

Anyways, March 27th was my birthday, my first one celebrated here at Mondale. It was the first weekend that I didn't have mountains of homework in what seemed like forever! To celebrate, I invited some of my closest friends to a slumber party. Unfortunately, Chrissa was sick with a flu that's been going around, and Avery was doing things with the science fair (I'll make sure she posts to explain!), but Mia, Emily, Sonali, Jess, and Ruthie were able to make it.

The group came to my room where we all changed into our pajamas, ate popcorn, and talked. I had a great time, and I hope my guests did, too.

Coconut and Licorice had fun as well!

-Gwen
PS: Brooke apologizes for the poor indoor lighting and messy scenes.

Jess and Ruthie: A Tribute

2010-03-19T16:11:00.013-04:00

Jessika and Ruth-Ann,
Some people have the power to chance our lives- even after they're no longer a part of it. A sister is a forever friend.
♥

[[Our 200th post is dedicated to Ruthie, Jess, Sitara, and everyone over at MLWB]]

Kirsten Larson

2010-03-17T19:04:00.003-04:00

Kirsten L. Larson

Minnesota circa June 1854

Photography Notes
A lovely girl came into the studio today. A bit shy, but very friendly and polite. She was a stunning child with bright, blue eyes and long, shiny blond braids, tied with cobalt ribbons that brought out the colour of her eyes. She wore a simple, yet beautiful checkered pink and white spring frock with a crisp white apron. An amber heart was worn around her neck, and one could tell that it looked much like a family heirloom. A circle of daisies was placed atop her blond head, and pink ribbons trailed down her back.
I know not much about the Larson family, only that they live on a farm outside of town and are from Sweden.

The Yorkshire Times: Holi

2010-03-06T15:04:00.008-05:00

[[A break in hiatus to bring you a newspaper article. Once again, thanks for the inspiration Sitara and Starr. This post is in newspaper form, and I do not mean to copy anyone, it's just a really great idea. Sorry if all the facts are not correct. Lucille Durham, Patrick Liam, The Yorkshire Times, and Mondale Preparatory Academy are all figments of my (Brooke's) imagination, and are not meant to represent real people/places.]]

The Yorkshire Times
Monday March 1st, 2010
Lucille Durham-Community Life Reporter

Local Youth Celebrates Indian Festival

March first, to many American citizens, is just another day. The start of this month brings hope of fair weather, and with any luck, the sun will be shining warmer and brighter ever day. But the first of March happens to be so much more; it is the Hindu spring festival, Holi. Holi is the second most important festival of India after Diwali, and I had the pleasure to meet a young, Indian-American girl, Sonali Matthews.

"Holi is the festival of spring and color," the thirteen year old eighth grader who attends Mondale Preparatory Academy explains. "It is to welcome the spring and win the blessings of Gods, so there will be fertile land and good harvests."

Ms. Matthews grew up with Hindu customs, as her parents are direct immigrants from India, and both sets of grandparents still live in the country. To celebrate the holiday, Sonali dresses in a bright pink frock, to symbolize the color aspect of the festival. The Matthews, like other Indian families across the world, will mix traditional, colorful dyes as well. Her family will be preparing regional food like 'Gujia' and 'Papad' in celebration.

Happy Holi, Sonali, and all others who celebrate the festival!

Article Written by Lucille Durham
Photography of Sonali Dhara Matthews by Patrick Liam

Hiatus

2010-02-24T18:20:00.004-05:00

Sorry, everyone, but the blog is officially on hiatus as of now. We're going through some stuff here, and we just need some time off. I just don't have the time to post, and the last of Brooke's worries is taking photos. We just feel kind of obligated now, and the fun in AG's and the blog is gone. Well, that could be because of the current situation, but oh well.
There may be the occasional post with a bit of an update, but that's about it. I'll hopefully still read/comment other blogs, though.
-Avery

My, how the time flies!

2010-02-22T19:25:00.002-05:00

Wow, I didn't realize that I haven't posted in forever! Well, I'm still here, sorry for not updating much. I've been sick on and off for the past week or so, and have been super busy! Here's my list of reasons, not that you care :P

I have several huge reports for school; an art report to on Pieter Brueghel, and a math report on Joseph-Louis Legrange. Plus tons of homework and a few tests coming up.
I have a band concert coming up on Friday, which we are definitely not ready for! I've been practicing like crazy.
I've been sick on and off for the past week or so. Nothing serious, but just the sniffles and sore throat.
Brooke fell when she was rollerblading (at an indoor rink :P Really hard concrete), and did something weird to her left wrist. It's not broken, but there's definitely something up.
Brooke's been doing a lot of writing lately, too, but not for the blog. More like fiction story things.

Yeah, so life's been pretty busy. On another note, Mia and most of the dolls here have been watching the Olympics a lot. The USA, and Canada as well are doing great! We got a couple more inches of snow last night, too. I made a snowman today!

Hopefully this week we'll take some more photos.

-Avery

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T13:01:00.002-05:00

Get ready for an obscene amount of pink, everyone! You really don't realize how much pink/red/purple clothing you have until you see it all together. Just a little note for the AG company: Try some different colors!!!

Anyways, there was a massive three day project here at Mondale. Everyone is was changed into their own Valentine colored outfit, and a huge photo shoot followed! Erin even came back for a visit so she could be in the pictures. Another certain someone arrived, too, and you'll just have to see from the photographs who it is!

There is a boat load of photos. They're not the best, due to poor indoor lighting, somewhat messy backgrounds, and Brooke being too lazy after the photo shoot and clean up to edit 50+ pictures consecutively. Here's a teaser photo for you, and the full album can be seen here.
-Avery

Mia and the Olympics

2010-02-12T13:23:00.005-05:00

Hello readers, this is guest-blogger Mia St. Clair! As most of you know, the 2010 Winter Olympics are being held in Vancouver, Canada, and the opening ceremony is tonight! I'm so excited I can barely stand it. I love all the winter sports like hockey, skiing, and snowboarding, but my favorite is the ice skating. I hope to one day make it to the Olympics! Watching the professional skaters really inspires me, and helps with technique, style, etc. I can't wait for the skating portion of the games to begin!

On Wednesday there was a huge snowstorm, and now we have several inches. I know some people don't like the cold or snow, but I absolutely love it. So in the spirit of the winter games, I decided to go out onto the frozen pond and do some skating!
There are a few photos, but it was so cold that I didn't stay out too long.

Knowing how much I love the winter games, Brooke made me a special snowflake necklace. Next to my skates, it's my second most prized possession! You can kinda-sorta see it in the pictures.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the photos. I think they turned out pretty good, especially the close ups. I sure had fun skating! Maybe Avery will let me post more often...

-Mia St. Clair
Future Olympian

Tagged!

2010-02-12T13:14:00.005-05:00

Rule #1 - Copy image to your blog

Rule #2- List 10 things that make you happy and try to do one today!

1) Friends and Family
2) Blogging
3) Cupcakes...That picture makes me hungry! :P
4) Photography
5) Stop-motion movies
6) Soccer
7) Writing fiction stories
8) Reading just about anything
9) Snow!
10) The weekend

Rule #3 - Tag 5 bloggers who brighten your day.
Well, it seems like most everyone has already been tagged. So if you want to be tagged, just comment!
-Avery

Lots of good news!

2010-02-11T15:55:00.005-05:00

Sorry for not posting hardly at all lately. But I have some very good news, quite a bit actually. Well, here it is:

I won the giveaway at Piper's blog!

We had a snow day yesterday! Yay, no school!
It is now officially 'Mid-Winter' Break, and I have a five day weekend. Lots of spare time equals more posts and pictures!
I got all A's on my first semester report card. Not even an A-, woo hoo!
The Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics is tomorrow night, that's always very excited. Mia will be definitely be watching.

Haha, that was a lot of exclamation points, but I think that it's worth it. Life is good right about now.

Speaking of the Olympics, that's what our next post will be about. Mia will be dressing up in her skating costume and going onto the ice for a photo shoot.
-Avery

Mondale Greenhouse

2010-02-02T16:16:00.003-05:00

Février (February): The time between winter and spring where everything is just... blah. There was a large thaw, and now all the snow is dirty slush; slightly disgusting. It was beautiful powdered crystals, and now it's a muddy mess. It's just cold enough for flurries, but warm enough to where everything melts. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for spring! Don't get me wrong, I love winter and the snow, it's just this yucky transitional period I hate.

Anyways, Nicki felt the same way. So... she started the Mondale 'Greenhouse'! It isn't very big, but as of now we have several plants growing, including a large tree and some cacti. I think it's a really fun project, it brightens these dreary days.

(Just a note: The 'tree thing', the cacti, and the holly leaves are all real! :) Don't you just love a mini, doll-sized cactus? Hehe!)
Sorry for not posting much over the past week. But I'm trying to take into consideration your suggestions, so: here you have it! A long-ish post with pictures. Sorry for the somewhat horrible indoor lighting and messy background.

-Avery

Friends-A Photo Story

2010-01-26T17:03:00.005-05:00

(One of your suggestions was more pictures/photo stories. I have to admit, I agree with that 100%!)

Introducing the first ever photo story on this blog:
Friends
-Dedicated to all my wonderful readers, but in particular Starr-

"Hi Julie," said Sonali, coming into the bedroom.
"Hello," replied the blond girl.
"Have you seen Chrissa today?" Sonali asked.
"She stayed after school to finish her History exam," explained Julie. "She was pretty worried yesterday, I hope she did all right."
-*-*-*-*-*-*
A little while later, Chrissa came into the room:

"Hi guys," she said in a depressed tone.
"What's wrong?" asked Julie, sensing her friend's bad mood.
"I got an 84 on my exam," Chrissa answered.
"An 84? That's really good!" said Sonali excitedly.
"But you got a 90," muttered Chrissa.
"Oh, Chrissa," exclaimed Sonali as she walked out.

-*-*-*-*-*-*
30 minutes later:
"I'm back," called Sonali, seeing her two friends in the same place she had left them.
"Chrissa, you did great on your exam! You did your best and that's all that matters," Sonali said comfortingly.

"Here," she said, holding out a bag. Chrissa opened it, and found a cute stuffed teddy bear.
"Thank you, Sonali," said Chrissa, giving her a hug. "You're a great friend."

-*-*-*-*-*-*

Featuring:
Chrissa Maxwell
Sonali Matthews
Julie Albright
Matthew (haha, I didn't even realize until now that it's Sonali's last name)-the mohair teddy bear in the Macy's bag :P Hehe!
-*-*-*-*-*-*
Well, it was short and sweet, with horrible indoor lighting photography, but I hope you enjoyed! Yes, it was a bit cheesy, but I like it. I just had to use that little Macy's shopping bag, it's so adorable, haha! I dedicated this to Starr, due to her recent post. She inspired me. Hope this made you smile, laugh, what ever! :D
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day.
-Brooke

How to make this blog better?

2010-01-25T17:14:00.001-05:00

Do you guys have any suggestions, comments, etc?
We'd love to hear them! With the New Year, I'm going to strive the make the blog better. I know I'm not doing a very good job, it's probably gotten worse...
Anyways, comment on things you like, things you don't, and hopefully things will change!
-Brooke
PS-Happy Birthday, Sitara!

Is suprised

2010-01-24T16:02:00.003-05:00

Yeah, as you can see, I'm a bit surprised, haha! I didn't know everyone loved Erin so much! :O I made the small mention of her on this blog and made a short video for youtube, and I've gotten quite a few comments from people saying that Erin was their favorite doll of mine, etc. I don't know why I find that so surprising. I guess it's because I hardly ever posted about her on this blog, and she hasn't really been photographed that much.
I've also been asked 'why':
My cousin wanted an AG doll, simple as that. After I received some AG things for Christmas, she expressed an interest. So, after contemplating, I decided to give her Erin. My cousin said she was just going to 'borrow' Erin, but I'd feel kind of horrible taking her back. Only if she doesn't take care of Erin or doesn't play with her much will I get her back. Or, unless she decides she doesn't want her anymore and gives her back herself.

Sorry if that was a bit confusing :P I'm not sure how genuinely interested my cousin was, or if this was just a fad/phase kind of thing. Only time will tell.
But I'm glad that Erin was well loved by my internet buddies :P She would have liked to know that she was popular! LOL :P
-Brooke

Best Friends

2010-01-23T12:29:00.002-05:00

Felicity and Elizabeth:

Ruthie and Kit:

Finally a 'real' post!
Some updates: I gave Erin to my cousin. I'm not sure if said cousin will keep her or not. She said that she was going to 'borrow' Erin for a while.
I feel absolutely horrible because I'm not spending very much time with my AG's. Like Kirsten; I just got her a few months ago and I've barely done anything with her... I feel terrible about it. It's the same story with a lot of my other dolls, too.
I feel like I might be 'growing out' of them again, like I did in 2007. :'( I guess it's just because I'm so busy.
-Brooke

Uhhh, it's a busy life!

2010-01-18T16:49:00.004-05:00

Of course, everyone is super busy, as are we! :) Sorry for not posting hardly at all. What with midterms and everything coming up (Yeah, we haven't had ours yet...)
We didn't post about something... but I'm not sure I'm going to or not. I'll have to decide later.
-Avery

PS-Congrats to Sitara on 2nd place in the LJ contest!

We haven't posted at all, sorry!

2010-01-15T22:09:00.000-05:00

Sorry for neglecting the blog... :'(
Everyone is just super busy right now! Maybe this weekend I'll have some extra time to post pictures, etc.
-Avery

Winter Wonderland

2010-01-09T13:37:00.004-05:00

Yay, it's the weekend! :) Here in MI we got a nice weekend surprise; five inches of snow! It came over Thursday night/Friday/and it is still snowing today. Everything looks so pretty, all the trees are covered in ice and snow. Finally winter has came! I was beginning to get worried that we would never have a substantial amount of "the white stuff".
Personally, I love snow! I'm glad that a thick, white blanket has fallen over Mondale (my boarding school). This morning I got bundled up in my new sweater and went outside. Erin came along as well. Her and I have been getting to be good friends.

Anyways, we went out into the woods to play in the snow! We had a lot of fun, and Brooke snapped some pictures.

I hope my readers are having a wonderful weekend!
-Avery

Midterms

2010-01-06T17:34:00.006-05:00

"Midterms [mid-turms]- Noun. Informal. An examination or series of examinations at the middle of a school term."

Midterms. Not fun.
Midterms=crazy long hours of studying.
Midterms=absurd amount of homework.
Midterms=STRESS!
Midterms=sleep deprivation.
Midterms=no social life, or internet/blog life for the matter.

Welcome to January, the month of midterm preparations. Needless to say, everyone is freaking out. Including me. I'm crazily studying for the exams. I'm especially nervous about my Algebra test. It's worth 1/3 of my grade. :o Since it is technically a high-school class (I'm in the 8th grade, but learning in an advanced class with 9th grade Algebra), the grade I get also counts for my GPA. O_o Needless to say, I'm just a bit worried.
My science homework is also overwhelming. Table of Elements, here I come! Unfortunately, that's the easy stuff... And plus, there's that lurking science fair in a few weeks.
History is unmerciful, I'm cramming so many dates and names into my head I think I'll explode. When, in 'real life', will I ever need to know that Martin Van Buren, 'of Dutch descent', was born in 1782, the son of a tavernkeeper and farmer, in Kinderhook, New York?!?!?

I have loads of homework, and a bunch of tests coming up (not including the actual exams!) Avery is not happy. Sorry, not sure why I'm talking in third person. But yeah, this is why I have not been posting much...
Sorry about the spasm of a post above, as well...

~Avery~

Nature Photography

2010-01-03T19:05:00.008-05:00

This is a somewhat off-topic post by Brooke.
Today I was cleaning out my computer, deleting files, etc. I came across some old photos from summer/autumn 2oo9, and thought I'd share them.
They're just a few nature photographs. Nothing fancy, but I still like them. I know these aren't the greatest, but I thought I would post the pictures. Plus, I've got nothing else to post about. *Hides ashamed face*
New Year's Resolution: Improve Both AG and Non-AG Photography

Photos of Upper Peninsula, Michigan. About as far North as it gets. Around a town where I used to live.

Early Autumn Trail

Waterfall

Boat Wreckage (slightly dramatic... hehe)

Apples

Enjoy!
-Brooke

Happy New Year-Lanie

2010-01-02T14:44:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I can hardly believe it is 2010 already. I hope you all had a wonderful 2009!
On another note, Lanie and her items came out yesterday. She is pretty cute, and now that people have gotten her in real life and taken photos, she looks much more appealing, LOL! I really like her butterfly dress...

Have a great day! Sorry for the very short post.
-Brooke and Avery

Melody Valerie- Ivy Cape

2009-12-30T23:03:00.002-05:00

Melody Valerie Couture- The Ivy Cape

An absolutely wonderful piece of couture, Ruthie quickly claimed it. Melody Valerie does not disappoint! The Ivy Cape is made of lovely, dark green fabric with a shiny silver lining. The clasps are beautiful, pearly white buttons with loop holes, and the hood has amazing detail.

I (Brooke) took Ruthie out into the woods today. We *finally* have a a somewhat substantial amount of snow, and she was glad to have her warm cloak! She is wearing this over her Holiday Dress, if you're wondering.

Hope you enjoy the pictures! Thanks, Melody Valerie!
-Brooke

One Year!

2009-12-27T23:31:00.005-05:00

Today is our one-year blogoversary, and I almost forgot to post! As I'm typing, it's already 11:32 PM! Just a busy day, and it slipped my mind. Well, the 27th (or was it the 26th?) was met with the first real photo of the Lanie doll! I think she looks very pretty, and her story is nice. Plus, I really like her outfit ;) But Brooke isn't too sure about the wig, she says it looks "funky" from the pictures. In my opinion the sidebangs are cute, but real-life photos will help. Brooke said if the wig was right, she might use her as a base for a custom doll. But the side bangs kind of ruin that plan. I don't know if Brooke would have even went through with the custom doll anyways, though. She says she doesn't think she'll be getting Lanie now, but I don't know how true that is :P But really, we have enough dolls around here, and Brooke is still contemplating whether to order some Chrissa items before the end of the year. Uhhh, I hate the feeling of "I have to have everything". It just makes collecting AG's no fun. The amount of $ is absurd. But I guess this is Brooke getting to my head, and more her words than mine.

Anyways, I can't believe it's been a year since I first started the blog. So many things have changed, it's hard to fathom. 2009 has flown by so fast, in just a few short days we'll be entering 2010! It's so exciting, yet kind of scary.

~Avery~
Blogger of One Year who currently has 33 followers and 178 posts! I thank you, my readers, form the bottom of my heart!

Holiday Loot

2009-12-26T12:22:00.006-05:00

Well, here's the mandatory "What I got for Christmas" post! :) I, Avery, got a few presents:

snowflake pajamas

a hand crafted, needle-felted purple and green dragon

a holiday shoe set, consisting of a pair of snowflake tights and a pair of shiny, red shoes

an "IM-Me" (an instant messaging thing, LOL, almost like texting)

I had a really good Christmas, I hope everyone else has, too. Uhhh, but I'm so full from eating big meals!

Brooke got a few AG things for Christmas, too:

Chrissa's warm-up set
Chrissa's sundress
Chrissa's PJ's
Ruthie's holiday dress
JLY Adventure outfit
JLY Licorice Play outfit

I don't have any pictures of these outfits just yet, sorry. Brooke also ordered a piece of couture as a "gift to self" kind of deal. I think she ordered something else with her holiday gift money, but she's not admitting it :P

Well, I hope everyone had a great holiday, and Happy New Year! (PS-Tomorrow, the 27th, is our one year blogoversary!)
~Avery~

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T22:38:00.004-05:00

It is Christmas Eve! I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday, I know I am! :)

And, in the spirit of Christmas (not trying to be religious here, sorry), a poem:

Evergreen boughs that fill our homes
With fragrant Christmas scents,
Hearts filled with the loving glow
That Christmas represents;
Christmas cookies, turkeys stuffed,
Festive holly berry,
Little faces bright with joy,
Loved ones being merry;
Parties, songs, be-ribboned gifts,
Silver bells that tinkle,
Christmas trees and ornaments,
Colorful lights that twinkle;
Relatives waiting with open arms
To smile and hug and kiss us;
These are some of the special joys
That come along with Christmas.

-By Joanna Fuchs

Happy holidays, everyone!
~Avery~

Ruthie

2009-12-23T19:12:00.001-05:00

Doll Focus: Ruth Anne Smithens

Meet Ruth Anne, more commonly known as Ruthie; a fantasy-loving dreamer from Cincinnati. Ruthie came to live with us in July 2008, much to the delight of her best friend Kit Kittredge. Ruthie loves princesses, fairy tales, and playing pretend. She is known for her great imagination and fun personality. Ruthie is originally from the 1930's, but occasionally time travels. She has curly, red-brown hair and gray eyes. During the holiday season, Ruthie's favorite thing to do is bake cookies, go sledding, and decorate the Christmas tree. This is her second holiday with us, and she is happy to spending time with her friends.

Not a good day

2009-12-23T10:05:00.001-05:00

Brooke's American Girl order is seriously messed up. Very complicated. Frustrating. I'm not even going to try to explain.

~Avery~

Winter Photo Shoot

2009-12-19T21:10:00.003-05:00

Today I took Erin, Nellie, Nicki, Avery, Mia, and Ruthie outside in the snow to take some photos! :) They're all dressed for winter! Last night we received a dusting of snow, just in time for the holidays.
Check out the video with all the photos here.
Here's a preview shot:

Happy Holidays, everyone!
-Brooke

The surprise!

2009-12-13T12:14:00.005-05:00

I'm posting this late, but, as promised, a post on our surprise items! Picture heavy post to follow.

The surprise was... couture! Two Heritage Clothesline dresses to be exact. Brooke ordered Samantha her ice cream dress and Jess a lovely, red frock. Both are stunning, and we are so happy to have these two new dresses for the holidays!

First is the ice cream dress, inspired by book illustrations.

It is a lovely, crisp, and white with beautiful black ribbon detailing. Very, very pretty! Amazing quality, and looks just like it does in the book! This has to be one of the prettiest Edwardian-era dresses I've seen, even better than those made by American Girl! Samantha looks so beautiful with her dark hair and eyes against the white dress. This dress seems to work for both winter and spring, which is very nice. Samantha is so happy to have her new dress!

Next is the Toy Soldier red dress, which was promptly claimed by Jess. I think it looks very nice on her, red looks very great with her coloring. The dress is made from a rich, red fabric that has white lace detailing. Everything is absolutely gorgeous! This is a great holiday dress.

Well, these aren't the greatest pictures. Sorry for not posting much these past few days!
-Avery

Sierra's Snow Day!

2009-12-12T12:49:00.006-05:00

This afternoon it warmed up some, so Sierra headed outside to play in the snow! We don't have much snow, just a dusting, but still, she had fun!
We don't have much snow, but yet it is freezing! That's what bugs me the most... If it's going to be this cold, there should at least be more snow.
Anyways, enjoy the pictures! They've had a little picnik magic worked on them to have the "snowing" effect.
~Avery~

Edited to add: The surprise got here sooner than expected! Post coming soon!

Sorry for being some-what absent...

2009-12-12T09:14:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted at all in practically the last week. Life is so busy! We've got a dusting of snow here, everything is really pretty. But it has been absolutely freezing these past few days! The temperature has been in the teens, plus like 20-30 mph winds (not joking). Yesterday I went out to the pond, which had frozen over! Mia will be out there ice skating soon, once the wind dies down. Yeah, it's cold. I've been staying inside for the most part. I wish I had a warm Melody Valerie coat to keep me warm (hint, hint, Brooke!)

Anyways, it's been pretty crazy, but I have a surprise which should be coming in the next few days!

~Avery~

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree!

2009-12-06T15:38:00.005-05:00

*picture heavy post!*
Today we set up our doll sized holiday tree! :) It was so much fun. We put on the lights, garland, green and gold bulbs, and other ornaments as well. We couldn't find a star for the topper, so we just used a red bow instead. We also placed a few presents underneath. I think it turned out very nice. We're really in the holiday spirit now!

Brooke has also been working on a project the week or so- a fire place! She just finished it today, and it's perfect for the holidays. It isn't the greatest, but it looks good in the room. It makes everything look so warm and cozy, just like winter! It really finishes the scene, if you know what I mean. Plus, it was really simple to make (if anyone wants to know how to make their own, comment and I'll tell you! It is insanely simple and can be a one day project! All you need is cardboard or wood and some paint!) Us dolls scavenged around the house to find some things to put on the mantle. We came up with two candles, a mirror, a snow globe, and a clock. There's also a nativity scene at the base of the fire place. I told Brooke we need to find a menorah, so we'll have to get that soon. If you don't know, I'm 1/2 Jewish, so I celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah (which starts December 11th)

After everything was done, Erin, Chrissa, Sonali, and Mia put on their holiday dresses and posed for some photos! Don't they look pretty?
Well, without further ado, here is our finished holiday set up!

And here are their Holiday 2009 portraits:
We hope you enjoy!

~Avery~

Jasmine, and looking back

2009-12-05T10:38:00.007-05:00

Beautiful #26... She's been with us almost a year! She came from American Girl Place Chicago, handpicked, on January 2nd, 2009, along with her friend, Sonali Matthews. This poor girl, her name and story have changed so many times... She's been named Noelle, to Sasha, to Jocelyn, and now Jasmine. She hardly has a story, and even so its always changing as well. Lately she's been hanging around with Kit and Ruthie, but now she's becoming modern again. This girl needs to make up her mind! She needs to tell me where she fits.
I've been intimidated by her hair and haven't done much with her, only changing her clothes once every few months. But now she is ready for the holidays! :) This picture was taken in front of our Christmas tree (more holiday portraits coming soon!) She is wearing the Sparkly Plum dress from American Girl. I think the purple color suits her, and really sets off her lovely skin-tone and eye color. #26 really is a beautiful doll, her hair is just a pain! I've hardly touched her (she's been a "sit and look pretty" display doll) and her hair is SO frizzy! I guess I'm just not used to it, but even so, she is my favorite JLY doll. Her look is so unique, and those gorgeous amber eyes are to die for!

Well, that's my spiel about this stunning dollie!
And, guess what, this blog is almost a year old! It was created on December 27th, 2008. Looking back at all the posts, I can see how much myself and my dolls have changed! My photography is loads better (partially thanks to a new camera), my blogging style is different, etc.
It's crazy to think its been a year since I started sharing Avery's story with the world! :) I'll be having a huge post on the 27th to celebrate.

Happy Holidays,
-Brooke

PS- I've added music to the blog. It's Christmas music (Carol of the Bells) and Harry Potter (Hedwig's Theme). I tried to make these appropriate for everyone, but if you wish not to listen to them, most computers have a "mute" button ;)

Winter

2009-12-04T18:22:00.002-05:00

Fall has came and went, and we're now heading into winter! 2009 has flown by so fast, it has all been a blur! I've been so busy lately, and haven't had much of a chance to post on the blog. Sorry about that!
Anyways, it is steadily growing colder and snowier, and before you know it Christmas will be here!

Also, I have re-done the blog design (again, I know! Sorry!) Inspired by a snowy winter night!

~Avery~

I can't believe its December already!

2009-12-01T19:36:00.000-05:00

I just can't believe how fast time has gone by! I'm so busy lately, sorry for not posting. One of the main reasons I'm not posting is because Brooke hasn't had time to take pictures, and I hate posting without pictures.
~Avery~

I know it's been said, but Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T16:55:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :) I just got home from the parade. We were out to get prime spots at 4:30 this morning. And brrrrr, it was cold! But definitely worth it as there was great floats, balloons, and bands!
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday with family, friends, and food! :P

I do not own the picture.

Melody Valerie's Holiday Line!

2009-11-23T15:25:00.003-05:00

I love Melody Valerie's new holiday line! Everything is absolutely gorgeous, it always is! :) Brooke wants so many couture things, it's not even funny!
I am SO sorry for not posting over the last week. I've been very busy, and then Brooke was out of town this weekend. But... guess what? We're going to a Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will be a lot of fun!
~Avery~

Samantha's new couture coat!

2009-11-15T15:09:00.003-05:00

Hello, everyone! I know Avery usually posts on this blog, but today she is letting me! I'm Samantha Parkington, Avery may have mentioned me before.
I have a new coat for this winter season! :) Brooke found it at a craft show this weekend for a great price. It came with a velvet hat, and she added Kirsten's mittens (not shown very well in the photos, sorry).
I'm not sure if this would be considered a couture item or not... The definition of couture, according to dictionary.com is:
Created or produced by a fashion designer; being, having, or suggesting the style, quality, etc., of a fashion designer; very fashionable.
Either way, I think it's very cute! It isn't totally historically accurate, though. It looks fine for the early 1900's, but the body of the coat (red fabric) is made of synthetic polar fleece, which wasn't even around in 1904! The cuffs and collar are made of velvet, and the hat is velvet as well. The coat has real working buttons instead of snaps or velcro.
I'm so glad to have a coat, even if it isn't perfect. Plus, my favorite color is red, so that works out well!

Enjoy the photos! They were took rather quickly, and not edited much :P

Guest Blogger,
-Samantha Parkington

Craziness at school...

2009-11-12T17:15:00.002-05:00

Sorry for not updating much lately! :( I've just been sooooooo busy! At school everyone is excited for the holiday ball. I think I'm going to go. Ivy and Nellie are going, I know that, and I think Erin is too. Anyways, I've had loads of homework, including 2 huge essays. I hate essays. I have one for History and English. The good news is tomorrow we have a 1/2 day of school! But I don't think I'm going to be on the computer much over the weekend.

Just felt the need to update :)
~Avery~

It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas... a holiday ball!

2009-11-09T17:02:00.010-05:00

Images property of: KATIE (picture of my fictional character "Casey") and LIBERTY JANE (background image on the invitation). Thanks KATIE and LIBERTY JANE for the images! :) The pictures are not mine, and I am not taking credit for them! They are property of KATIE and LIBERTY JANE !!!!!
------------------------------------
The most popular girl in our school is hosting a holiday ball! Her name is Casey Quaine, and I guess you could say she's the perfect, stereotypical image of a popular girl. You know, blond, rich, sort of snotty, etc. Anyways, every year since like 3rd grade, around the week before Christmas she holds a holiday ball for all her closest friends. She starts the preparations early November, that's how big a deal it is! There's dancing and food, and she goes all out with a stunning dress. Last year she wore a gorgeous, sparkly blue gown, shown above.

Usually she only invites her best friends (or minions, I guess you could call them...). Obviously, I've never been invited before. But this year her mom is making her invite the entire 8th grade! She handed out the invitations today at school. Actually, she looked genuinely excited when I told her "I'll try to make it, Casey. Thanks." Still, I can't help but thinking its too good to be true...
Don't the invitations look really nice?

The party is at her house. It's really close to my school, only like 20 minutes away (even though she still boards here at Mondale). It's in a really ritzy area called "English Manor". The places there are huge, really elaborate, Victorian mansions. Some of them are over 100 years old! She supposedly has a ball room (yeah, in her house!) with a crystal chandelier that is decorated for the holidays with giant Christmas trees, lights, etc.
Ivy said her friend Julie went a few years ago, and Julie said that it was absolutely amazing!

I'm not sure if I'm going to go or not... I really don't know. The only reason she invited me is because her mom made her. But Casey's never really been mean to me, she just has a naturally "snotty" attitude, that's just who she is. Today when she gave me the invitation she actually seemed pretty nice, and genuinely glad that I said I might come. Plus, that ball does sound awfully fun. I think practically everyone is going, it's like the social event of the year. I'd have to pick out a dress. Maybe Brooke would even be nice enough to order me a new one! :) I highly doubt that, though.

~Avery~

Happy Birthday! :)

2009-11-07T18:22:00.003-05:00

We're celebrating quite a few birthdays this weekend! Friday was Rose's birthday! Happy Birthday, my blogger friend! =D So, we're celebrating that birthday from afar. But today (Saturday November 7th) is also Erin's birthday! Happy Birthday, Erin! And how many times can I say 'birthday' in a few sentences? Haha :P

Anyways, since Erin has kind of been our Gwen stand in, she had a party with Sonali and Chrissa. (PS- A couple people have asked, and yes, Brooke did get Chrissa in late September but did not post about it, for various, complex reasons I'm not going to get in to.) They had a lot fun at their party, I wish I could have came.

She received a new pair of fancy shoes, a stuffed animal, a camera, and a soccer ball (not pictured!) for her birthday! Plus, they had a yummy heart-shaped cake with strawberries. (Thanks HelloMiss)

Happy Birthday, Erin and Rose! From your friend,
~Avery~

P.S. I changed the template back to my old one, I like this better :)

Contrary to popular belief, I'm still alive!

2009-11-06T16:15:00.003-05:00

Ouais, c'est vrai, je suis encore là. Je suis très désolé pour la mise à jour non. Je suis tellement occupé avec l'école! Ce week-end j'ai 2 essais, un rapport de livre, et un peu de leçons de mathématiques à faire. Si tant de travail!

*Yeah, it's true, I'm still here. I am very sorry for not updating. I'm so busy with school! This weekend I have 2 essays, a book report, and a few math lessons to do. So much work!

School is really getting the better of me. It's taking a lot of effort just to keep up with the homework! I have very strict teachers, and they assign a lot of work. Plus, I usually have 2-3 tests or quizzes each week, so I spend a lot of time studying! I'm so tired at the end of the night and just want to relax.

The good news is, I'm still able to keep up my grades. 1st quarter is over, and I have all A's and above a 95% is every class. Yay! :D

I'll try to update more, I really will!

~Avery~

Updates!

2009-10-31T10:49:00.003-04:00

Sorry for not being on much... We've all been very busy! I included a picture of Julie, just because I like to have a picture in every post! Well, just a few things:

Brooke has a hopelessly long couture/AG wish list
Brooke is playing her trombone quite well now :)
Today is Halloween, and I'm being a witch! (post coming Sunday or Monday)
I think I may be getting sick (I have a cough)
I have a large American History essay due very soon :( Plus a bunch of test...

Once again, sorry for not being on much. School is really keeping me busy!
~Avery~

Kirsten and Mia out in the forest

2009-10-24T11:19:00.004-04:00

Today I took Kirsten and Mia out into the forest for some fall photos. It finally stopped raining, so I took the opportunity to get some pictures outside. Sorry for not the best backgrounds, most of the leaves have already fallen, are still green, or not on "AG level" (not close enough to the ground to get a picture with a doll).
I think they both look so sweet! Mia looks great in Kirsten's school dress, it goes nicely with her coloring. I think she looks really cute as an 1850s doll.

You should have noticed Kirsten is in these photos. She arrived last night, and I couldn't more thrilled, she's absolutely perfect. I read her books when I was 7 or 8, and she's always been my favorite historical character. I don't know what took me so long to get her! She is wonderful, I recommend getting her before she is archived! I can't believe AG is archiving her :( Well I can, but I can't, you know what I mean... But their business ploy (that's all that this archiving junk is) worked like a charm on me.
-Brooke

Caroline

2009-10-21T18:44:00.004-04:00

Ruthie has undergone a name change! Her name is now Caroline. She is the Ruthie character's twin sister, and she still is a historical living in the 1930s. Caroline, also know as Cara, is very practical and logical, not much like her twin Ruthie, who is loves fairy tales and fantasy. She is very smart as well! :)

Sorry for not posting much! Life sure is bussssy! My next post will be me with all of Brooke's musical instruments!

Well, off to do homework! I have an algebra lesson, and a report for American History!

~Avery~

Kirsten is heading our way!

2009-10-18T11:52:00.006-04:00

With the free shipping code (PF99058), Brooke caved and ordered Kirsten! :) The funny thing is, Kirsten has always been her favorite historical character. Kirsten's books were the first she read, and Kirsten was always the doll she liked the most! But, for some reason, she just kept getting pushed farther and farther down the 'want list'. Until now! She will be coming in a little less than a week (hopefully). This whole archiving business scheme worked like a charm.

~Avery~

credit to FarmHouseGirl for the photo!

Happy Birthday, Nellie!

2009-10-16T16:35:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday, Nellie Jaclyn O' Malley!

October 15th was Nellie's birthday! :) She had a great day! Samantha, Lydia, and I threw her a small party. And guess what? Since poor Nellie doesn't have ANY clothes except her PJ's, meet dress, and winter coat, Brooke is getting her a dress for her birthday!

Brooke is letting her choose whichever one she wants, but Nellie's having a hard time deciding. We've narrowed down to two dresses from the Dollies' Dressmaker and one from terristouch. Personally, I like the striped one, just because I think it'd look better with Nellie's coloring. But I think any of them would look lovely on her. Which one do you like? Dress #1, the plaid one with the pinafore from terristouch, Dress #2, the floral green one from the Dollies' Dressmaker, or Dress #3, the striped one from the Dollies' Dressmaker? I'm making it into a poll on the sidebar (be sure to vote!). I'm not promising we'll get the one that wins, but I'm interested to see what others think.

And, another thing:
One of the main reasons Brooke founded this blog was to "get to know" me again. Brooke kind of drifted out of AG's for over a year. Then she came back strong! So, she made this blog kind of reconnect with me. She had to think about my personality, my interests, take photos, etc. Now that Brooke is selling some dolls, I think I will begin to share my blog with all the other girls here at Mondale (our school). I think it would be a lot of fun, more interesting, and give them a chance for some attention too.

~Avery~

Freckles!

2009-10-13T20:37:00.004-04:00

Brooke added freckles to Erin (JLY 12)! She didn't want Erin to look so much like Gwen. She looks so adorable! Brooke used 2 shades of colored pencils to freckle her. Seeing how great Erin looks, I really want freckles now! But I'm not allowed :( Anyways Erin looks really cute. I'll add a picture of her tomorrow. Today there isn't very good lighting because of the cloudy, rainy weather.
UPDATE:
Here's a few pictures! Sorry they're not the best, and you can't see the freckles too well.
Sorry for not posting much, I've been busy.

-Avery

Nicki

2009-10-10T12:16:00.003-04:00

Today is a cool, crisp, sunny autumn day. Perfect weather! :) I thought I'd share a photo of Nicki I shot today.

Sorry that posts are getting fewer and fewer. Things have just been busy lately, that's all! Also, I'm sorry that myself and the other dolls have been taking over Avery's blog!

-B.

we are still alive

2009-10-08T17:14:00.000-04:00

like I said, we're still here. Life is busy.
-B.

Avery-Here

The life and times of Willow

Remember when...?

Of Sonali and Snow

102 and Willow too!

Très Bonne

Midterms.

A post of anything and everything...

Meet 'Curls'

Two Years

Art evokes the mystery without which the world would not exist. - Rene Magritte

Snowy Days (and random pictures)

Randomness

La Lumière de la Vie

The Tridge

Can You See Me?

Black And White

Cricket Chirp? Echo?

Lissie in the Autumn

Here We Go Again

Explored? What? :)

Floraison Octobre

School

Felicity & Elizabeth

School

Evening Sun

Mystery at Midnight

Reminiscing with Jess

Retour à partir de Paradis

Blueberry Picking - Cueillette De Bleuets

Au revoir

Sonali's voyage à l'étang

Avery-Here Celebrates 70 Followers!

Guess What...?!?

Out By The Flowers

Liz in The Garden

Photography Feature

Summer

Rosenbrock Academy Orientation

Rosenbrock Orientation

A Letter For Avery

Spring Time

Sorry for not posting

Adventure in the Woods

The Crafitness Continues: Picnic Table

Liberty Jane Patterns Take 2: Military Green Modeled By Amelia St. Clair

Liberty Jane Patterns Take 1: Cool Mint Modeled by Nicolette Fleming

Feeling rather crafty at the moment...

Holy Toledo! That was fast!

Gwen's sleepover!

Jess and Ruthie: A Tribute

Kirsten Larson

The Yorkshire Times: Holi

Hiatus

My, how the time flies!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Mia and the Olympics

Tagged!

Lots of good news!

Mondale Greenhouse

Friends-A Photo Story

How to make this blog better?

*Is suprised*

Best Friends

Uhhh, it's a busy life!

We haven't posted at all, sorry!

Winter Wonderland

Midterms

Nature Photography

Happy New Year-Lanie

Melody Valerie- Ivy Cape

One Year!

Holiday Loot

Christmas Eve

Ruthie

Not a good day

Winter Photo Shoot

The surprise!

Sierra's Snow Day!

Sorry for being some-what absent...

Is suprised