Two Years

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

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

(larger flickr version here)
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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!

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

Snowy Days (and random pictures)

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

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

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

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?

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

"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?

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

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

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? :)

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

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]]

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

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

{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

"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

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

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

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

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

{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

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

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

{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

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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!

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...?!?

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

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

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