Body Clock Renovation 2011

Yaaawn!
Alright, who of you has a hard time waking up in the mornings? It's okay, I'm right there with you.
My grandmother passed away two weeks ago. She was the epitome of class, service, charm, and generosity.. And she did it all on time, with happiness, and in style. I am so inspired by her life, and I want to make some changes. My first changes have started with those three things, being on time, being happy while I do it, and doing it in style.
I just purchased my first real watch, a Michael Kors wrist watch, that's so blingin' and beautiful. My grandmother was a servant to all, especially in the education field for Southeast Asians after the huge immigration to Long Beach in the 80s. She offered so many ways to help, to teach, and to serve other people, and always did it in a manner that was humble, but not to the point of letting herself go. She had her signature red nail polish, as I blogged about before. She always had her hair done and respectable clothes and shoes. It wasn't in the fashion of looking down on those who didn't have it, but she just liked it, and she knew she deserved it. So, my wrist watch is part one of my lesson on how to live in style while also living a life that is primarily for other people. I am a servant, and I love to serve, and I love everyone.
Moving on. Being on time, guys. This is my ultimate goal. I am the type of girl that is so much more pleasant to be around when I've woken up at 10:30 am, but you know, that just isn't going to cut it anymore. I need to wake up earlier. So today marks the day of my BODY CLOCK RENOVATION 2011, where I will be waking up early and starting my day early and loving it in the process. Last night, I successfully made it to bed by 10:45, and was out by 11 pm. Despite having very realistic dreams (not nightmares. There's a difference) of the zombiepocalypse, I woke up at 8 am, drank some tea, woke Moorea up, and now, at 9 am, we are out the door to walk The Newo Pups and read at Broad Street Books, a dog friendly cafe in downtown. I am overjoyed with the thought that in a few minutes I will get some real caffeine in me, because it is way to early for me to be awake. NAY! It is just the right time for me to be awake! And I'm going to learn to love it!

Question of the blog:
What is your ideal wake up time?

Tattoos, Sisters, and Resolutions.

Kelly, getting her Sims tattoo on her birthday

It's been a great couple of days. I am feeling very motivated and happy about the way 2011 is coming along.. Okay so we're 8 days in but nevertheless, I have a positive outlook and that's good enough for me.

Some good news to pass on to you.

1. My blog has been redesigned by my older sister, Moorea. For those of you who don't know Moorea, she is one of my favorite people and biggest sources of inspiration in this world. Her mind is filled with the most wonderful imagination that she draws, designs, and produces for the world to see. Not only is she a blogger, but she redesigns blogs, and she can redesign yours, too! She also has an Etsy shop where she designs and sells wonderful jewelry that I love.. I have a few of her pieces that I wear all the time. So go on over and check out her great sites, and pick up some lovely new jewelry for yourself!

2. I am piling my New Years Resolutions together.. And there is one I am particularly excited about. To give you the general gist of it, I am going through the year weekly. Each new week, a new adventure. But I need YOUR help in putting this list of 50 things to do for 7 days! More on this resolution in my next blog.

Question of the blog:

1. Do you have siblings?

2. What are your new years resolutions?

Alexandra's Wreck Journal: Part 5

Woohoo! Look what I got in the mail yesterday!


Andy filled out a few pages, and sent my Wreck Journal right on back to me. I'll be honest, I was going through withdrawals (more Andy withdrawals than Wreck Journal).


1. Tape This Journal Closed. Mail It To Yourself. Andy did the honors, and mailed it home in this fashion. I hope this made a few people smile on the way.
2. Scribble Wildly, Violently, With Reckless Abandon. I am positive Andy used one of his precious pens to scribble on this page. He is one of the few people I know who have this obsession with owning a million of only one model of pen. I'm the type of person that as long as it's black or red ink, and it works, I'll use it.
3. Tear Out. Crumple. I like the journal entries that have dimension to them, because when I close my Wreck Journal and look at the edges, it looks worn.


Thank you Andy, for helping me destroy my journal a little more! See you in less than 6.

Question of the blog:
Tonight, I made a quick detour to Save Mart and bought some M&M cookies, which are the best. What is your favorite type of cookie?

Ice Cream Pie!

Spring is here!
It's getting warmer, and I'm starting to uncover those shorts and skirts I haven't seen in months. The other day, it was about 75 degrees here, and everyone around town was in flip flops and buying ice cream.
During this (short) glimpse of warm weather, I decided to make an ice cream pie with Heath bars in it. Ice cream pies are super easy to make, and are a great treat on a warm day like the ones we've been having.


All you'll need for your Heath Bar ice cream pie is
1 Ready Crust chocolate pie crust
5 Heath bars
Enough vanilla ice cream to fill a pie pan.. So not that much. I bought 1.75 quarts of vanilla ice cream, and didn't even use 1/4 of it.
1 freezer.. For freezing, duh.


1. Set up a place to make your Heath bar ice cream pie. Leave the ice cream out to soften.
2. Cut up 3 of your Heath bars into small little pieces. These are the pieces that will go inside your pie, so make sure they're small. You don't want a huge Heath piece to be the death of a friend you are hoping to woo with this delicious treat.


3. Once the ice cream has softened enough to easily scoop with a spoon, lay down a layer of ice cream in your chocolate pie crust. Pack the ice cream as gently as possible, so you don't crush your crust.


4. Next, throw a layer of Heath bar on top of your layer of ice cream. You can put as little or as much as you would like, but make sure there you can see some ice cream through the Heath, so the two layers of ice cream can settle together. How romantic.


5. Once you are satisfied with your level of Heath bars, cover it up with the vanilla ice cream. I chose to only make one layer of Heath bar, but if you're feeling saucy, try putting two layers in, with three layers of ice cream. Just make sure to cover the Heath chunks completely.
6. Smooth over the top of your pie, and put it in the freezer for 45 minutes, or until the ice cream is frozen again. You don't want to eat Heath bar soup.


7. While your pie is freezing, break your last two Heath bars into big thick pieces for the topping. Another way of doing the topping is crushing the Heath bars, so your pie is more of a crumble pie on the top.
8. Take out your frozen ice cream pie, and start decorating! I did more of a Flinstone/mosaic top, but I encourage you to decorate to your own satisfaction. As you decorate, push the Heath bar pieces into the ice cream, so that they aren't easily moved when the ice cream starts melting.


9. Put your Heath bar ice cream pie into the freezer for another 45 minutes so that all of the ice cream in the pie is frozen.
10. Invite your friends over, and slice your pie open to reveal a delicious, chocolatey inside.


One great thing about this recipe, is that you can substitute Heath bars for any candy you want (maybe not any candy..but most). Next time I make this ice cream pie, I would love to try Snickers, Milky Way, Reese's, or York peppermint patties. Have FUN with your creation!

Question of the blog:
In all recipes, I prefer instructions that are clear, but with some vague parts that leave room for me to be creative. In my recipes that I post on here, would you prefer to hear straightforward, meticulous instructions, or more of a relaxed view to cooking?

Alexandra's Wreck Journal: Part 4

These last couple pages were pretty fun. I chose some cool projects before doing the latest page.. Come see!

A page for four-letter words. I spent so long doing this page! I got about half way done with the list, but then had to start opening bible pages and homework lectures to see if I could find any more words with four letters. I'll be honest, when I went to bed later that night, I could not stop thinking of four letter words! haha!

Tear strips. Rip it up! This one was fun, until it was ripped, and then all of the strips were curled up and the page wouldn't close. So I thought, I haven't weaved in a while.. You see, I used to weave pages all the time. I would make cards for people out of weaved papers, and then I moved onto cranes, and now I'm sort of not doing either. So I decided to weave this page after ripping up strips of it.

Make a sudden, destructive, unpredictable movement with the journal. At first I was thinking, I'm sitting at my desk. I could just throw it at my bookshelf to the left of me.. But then I realized that I have frames over there, and that's too predictable. So, I stuffed it into a little going away package for Andy, and told him to fill out a few pages and send it back. Sounds sudden, destructive, and unpredictable enough for me!
See you soon, little journal. We could call you Journey the Journal!

If any of you are new here, and have no clue what this is, head on over to my first journal posting.

Question of the blog:
Tell me the first four four-letter words you think of.

Alexandra's Wreck Journal: Part 2

Here is from day one and two. The instructions say to not fill this journal in any particular order, and also said to number the pages as you wish. So my page numbers go with the entries.

Page one: Fill this page with circles. Big ones and little ones, all connected. Come Unity.

Page one: Draw with GLUE. & glitter! For effect. That and the glue did absolutely nothing. I had to add some flavor!

Page three: SCRATCH using a sharp object. 1) clippers 2) usb port 3) pin
Also- this font from the page reminds me of something from long ago... Was it the font for Cat Dog or something? Let me know if you can figure it out.

Question of the blog:
When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to watch a few shows. More like, I was banned from ever watching those shows from my parents. Pinky and the Brain, Cat Dog, etc. Were you ever banned from watching a tv show as a kid?

Letter To The Editor

Dear C.S. Lewis,
You know I love you dearly. The books you have written are always on your mind, your knowledge is an overflowing fountain I love to dive into time after time. But I feel like I'm pulling teeth getting through The Four Loves right now! It's taken me much to long to finish a book with 141 pages!
Nevertheless, I am motivated today. And I am going to finish it. Today. I have a list of books that keep piling up, that I want to start chipping away at. And I'm not being mean when I say this, but I think we need to go on a little break. I promise you're still on my list to read! I just have a few before you. Ones that are lighter reads. Know that you are my hero and I love diving into the waters that are your mind. This book is just a little thicker and colder than usual. Not to say I am not retaining what you have to offer! I am receiving it! Slowly but surely. I pray that the next 26 pages are not as difficult as the last 115. Wish me luck....
Love Always,

Alexandra Seal

(Clive Staples Lewis. Image found on Google)

A Look Back, Part 1

One of my favorite things to do is to go through old files and find pictures of today from past years. This one is from July 8, 2005. Four years ago! I love this picture.

Question of the blog:
I think I'll start posting more picture memories as a series. I'm sorry that my photography series never came along.. But that has no relation to the question of the blog. Which is this! This morning, after my second broken permanent retainer was removed, I went to Caroline's Coffee and had my favorite morning snack: a 16 ounce iced latte, single shot, whole milk, 1/2 shot of vanilla.. and the butt of the coffee cake. What is your favorite drink/snack to order at coffee shops? Do you go to a certain coffee shop so often that the baristas know what you are ordering the moment you step into the coffee shop?

Sleep Outs and Sidekicks

My first week as a counselor at Wolf Mountain is already over! Man that week went by fast. I had 8 girls in my cabin, all very different yet all equally sassy. This caused quite a bit of problems in terms of teamwork, but all in all I had a really great week getting to know these girls and trying to show them the beautiful beautiful God that watches over all of us.

Oh my darling little Saren. She was so hilarious all week.

My friends Marceline, Bekah, Desiree, and JC. Awesome.

Puffin AKA Marcelina, who I love a lot a lot. I'm really glad I am working with her all summer.

These are my girls trying to to the Swing-To. They had a really hard time with leadership as well as unity as a cabin and totally failed at this and every exercise we tried to do. In the end I had to make it very easy for them to succeed, but I think they learned a lot from the activity.

My cabin won the Counselor Hunt, where each counselor hides and when they are found by a cabin, they get to dress the counselor up however they want. They dressed me up as what they called "Confused Britney Spears In the Morning." It was ridiculous.

This is one of my girls riding. During activities, each counselor is assigned a different activity to help out with. I worked with the wranglers and helped with the horses and vaulting and stuff. It was awesome to see these little girls and boys ride great big horses and still feel comfortable. When I first tried vaulting I was really nervous!

This week went well, and it was great practice for future cabins. This next week I will be a Primary Counselor, meaning I will be a counselor for Sunday to Wednesday, because Primaries are the kids that only stay a few days (usually because of homesickness and stuff, and can't handle a whole week away.) So I'm hoping there will be no bed wetters, and I'll get at least a few hours of sleep this week =] Haha!

I hope you are all doing well, I miss everyone a lot and I'm sorry I haven't had time to talk to basically anyone. It's incredible how time consuming 8 girls that are from the ages of 9-12 can be. Keep me in your prayers, you are always in mine.

I Simply Remember My Favorite Things

To view more of my favorite things, go here.

These are a few of my favorite things:
1. Making paper cranes with prayers in them for other people.
2. Being fully submersed under water for a split second. I used to hate hate hate water, but I am getting better.
3. Watching people dive into water.
4. When dads take their child out to dinner at Sushi Q.
5. Natural light in my bedroom.
6. Well worn sweatshirts.
7. Warm cookies that just came out of the oven.
8. Appreciating things that deserve it.
9. I like not saying I love you right now.
10. When people do thoughtful things for me.. I'm a simple creature.

Question of the blog:
What is one thing that you did today that you just love doing?

Alix Andersen Photography

I have known Alix Andersen for a few years, and have always been impressed with her portraiture. She has a gift for capturing beauty in everything. Her photography inspires me to do more sit-down photo shoots with people, and explore into more black and white photography.


Alix Andersen
Photographer, 21, Nevada County
Alix Andersen on Flickr

Self-Portrait. By Alix Andersen


When did you first start photographing?
A: I got my first camera when I was 12, I've always loved taking pictures of anything and anyone.

chelsrae. by Alix Andersen


What type of camera do you use?
A: Nikon d60, & 7.0 Cannon Powershot.

Untitled. By Alix Andersen 2008


What is your favorite thing to photograph?
A: My friends, my family. Those are the pictures that mean the most to me. Especially when i capture a moment that truly shows how beautiful my friends are.

Jen Baby. By Alix Andersen 2008


How often do you take pictures? How often do you have sit-down photoshoots with people?
A: I take pictures constantly. I always have at least two cameras in my purse at all times. A film & a digital. I have sit down shoots as often as I can. I'm constantly trying to find different people to collaberate with, and hopefully when I have the money I can start building a studio.

Ade. by Alix Andersen 2009

What inspires you to continue in photography?
A: I love everything about photography, anything and everything inspires me. I feel that I have a lot more to learn with it & more to experience.

Question of the blog:
Out of the five photographs featured, which is your favorite?

Fancy Photographs

Ahhh yes my friends. I am going to start a little photographic series where I feature friends or complete strangers I find on Flickr. Expect little interviews and beautiful photos by talented artists in the days and weeks to come =]

Only In Nevada City

This was in the police blotter yesterday:

At 5:58 p.m., a caller from Uren Street and Highway 49 reported a “possible spiritual body theft.”
Nevada County Sheriff's deputies were unable to locate the victim.

Love it.

Question of the blog:
Have you ever had to call the police?

Life Advice 101.2

Sometimes I post a new blog every day.. Sometimes I go like a week before thinking of something that might be funny or at least pleasing to the eyes for you, my dear reader. And I know I posted something yesterday (new hair cut if you didn't look already), but I feel like I haven't posted anything legitimate in a while. So here is an update on my life... But not really.
My boyfriend is home for the next 6 months, and my friend from New Hampshire who is my boyfriend's best friend's girlfriend ('s dog's mother's step uncle's...) is here at my house for the next 9 days, sooo I've been sort of really busy. So this is my 2 second schpeal on the past week or so of my life.
1. I am obsessed with Pushing Daisies. And I am incredibly mad that they only made 2 seasons, becuase I could probably watch that show every day for the rest of my life. As long as Lee Pace never left. Ahh love<3
2. You know you've worked somewhere long enough when regulars start giving you love advice. Read my love advice I got from Caroline's Coffee regulars here. This week has been full of life advice from a few people in particular, and I'll be honest, it's sort of nice getting it from them. It's like they have finally accepted me as a Sushi Q girl. Sweet. I have stood the test of time.

One Two Three. I Love You. Part II

As I write this, my kitty, Wellington, is sleeping on my lap, with his head resting on the corner of my lap top. He is so cute... How could anyone hate cats??

This is my part 2 of my ode to animals. To view the first one, go HERE.

Red foxes. They are so stunning!

The Red Fox is primarily crepuscular with a tendency to becoming nocturnal in areas of great human interference; it is most active at night and at twilight. It is generally a solitary hunter. If a fox catches more food than it can eat, it will bury the extra food to store it for later.

I love watching clips of foxes playing in the snow. They are so graceful.

Deer, specifically fawn, are SO PRECIOUS! They have the most innocent, adorable faces, with long eyelashes and big goofy ears.

Yeah... Maybe they eat all of my mom's plants that she slaves over.. But they are just so cute! I love living in Nevada City, one big reason is because of all the deer I see! I almost see them daily on my street, at about 5 or 6 at a time. Little deer families!

In the U.S., about 1.5 million deer-vehicle collisions occur each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those accidents cause about 150 deaths and $1.1 billion in property damage annually. How sad =[

Who could not love chipmunks? They're like baby squirrels slash hamsters!! Tamias is Greek for "storer," a reference to the animals' habit of collecting and storing food for winter use.

I just want a million of these. When I was little, I didn't have imaginary friends... I had imaginary animals. I know, I know, I'm a total dork.

I think my family just has this connection with animals. We are so sympathetic to them, like all of our kitties have been adopted from one random place or another.

We found Wellington at my little sister's school, and brought him food every day until one day my mom picked him up and took him home. My family got Addie from the Animal Save in Grass Valley. How did we decide on her? My dad said, "Give us the one with the most personality." They did. She is so crazy girly flirty but a total beast and will not let you mess with her... Unless you want to pick her up by her tail. hahah

Oh animals, how I love you. I'm glad God didn't leave you out in his creation plan, because a world full of humans would be no fun.