Current Happenings

Hello all!

It's the start of another week! For me, this pretty much means I'll do what I do every week, which is schoolwork. But after the schoolwork is over, there are crafts and projects to be worked on! I have a bad habit of getting on the computer when I'm bored, and sometimes it's really hard to get off of the computer once you're on there, so it's a very good thing for me to craft. I enjoy it and it keeps me occupied and off the computer-well, most of the time. I'll often throw something on Netflix and watch it while I craft.

I've had a lot of projects lately, the reason for which is because I'm hoping to soon open up my own little etsy shop. It's something I've been wanting to do for a very long time, and I've got about a billion ideas for things I'd like to make for it, but at the moment I'm just working on about four of those ideas. Four is enough to keep me busy, anyway :)

And look, I even got a planner this year, to help with school and all that. Make's me feel very productive... Unless I'm not productive, then it just makes me feel lazy. But other than that it's great. And look! It's got Van Gogh's Almond Blossoms painting on it, which makes it immediately ten times more wonderful.

I'll post more pictures of projects as I finish them, and hopefully it's not too long before I have my own little etsy shop :)

Until next time!

Maddy

I'm Baaaack!

Hello all!

It has been rather a long time since I last posted, but now that summer is over and I'm starting school soon, I figured I'd better get back in the blog-posting game.

Very much has happened! Lets see, we moved to Texas, where it is still ridiculously hot outside, despite it being the middle of September. My Montana brain is telling me that it should be somewhere in the mid 50s and soon it will snow, however, just a few days ago we went to the beach! It just seems so... wrong. But I shall wait (impatiently) for winter's cool breath to take the center stage.

 My dear friend Kenzie got to stay with us for a little over two weeks, which was a wonderful blessing. It's hard to be away from your best friends for months at a time. We had such a fun time, we went to the beach, got Jamba Juice, and had a Harry Potter movie marathon that spanned her whole stay. We even went ice skating at the mall! Funny that it took us moving to Texas for me to go ice skating (I am an awful ice skater).

Luckily, Kyra took lots of pictures of her trip, and made an awesome little video. It was hard to say goodbye, but it was a fantastic trip, and I'm so glad she could stay with us.

One of the awesome things about living right outside of Houston is that there is quite a bit more to do here than there was is Bozeman. My favorite thing so far has been going to the Houston Fine Arts Museum! I love it. There's just something about seeing art firsthand, rather than looking at pictures of it, that is just magical to me.

I'm afraid that, over this long break, I have joined even more fandoms than I was in before. For those of you who have no idea what a fandom is, here are two equally correct definitions from Urban Dictionary:

1: Fandom
The community that surrounds a tv show/movie/book etc. Fanfiction writers, artist, poets, and cosplayers are all members of that fandom. Fandoms often consist of message boards, livejournal communities, and people.

2: Fandom
An emotional drug. With other such hypnotized fans just as addicted as you or any other fan are, to a specific subject. A large group of unstable and emotional fans that devote half of their time in daily life, loving the thing they are so dedicated to. Whether its the writers, the shippers, or the followers; they all emotionally go haywire over it as one.

So, pretty much, it's like joining an addictive waste of time. However, nerd culture is growing rapidly, and there are many incredibly talented fan-based artists and writers, and there are lots of people to bond with over tv shows or books.

Of the new fandoms I've recently joined is the strange and wonderful podcast called Welcome to Night Vale, the very new Sleepy Hollow tv show, obviously based off of the story, Hannibal (very horror-esque, but I really really like it for some reason... the fact that the two main characters are played by Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen may contribute), Fringe (science-y awesome stuff that's a lot like X-Files... but with science), and even a couple of others.

As you miiiiight have noticed, fandoms are kind of a big part of my life. They're fun to watch/listen to/and read, they're inspiring for writing and drawing, and it's nice to be enthusiastic about some things.

Let's see, in other news, this year I am going to try knitting my first sweater, a light, comfy one for the mild Texas winter. I'm also going to try a couple of new embroidery techniques, something I've been wanting to do. Maybe I'll even sew another dress! I don't know, but I am for certain back in the blogging world. :)

I hope everyone had an excellent summer!

Until next time,

Maddy

Leaving

Hello everyone!

 So, I have some news (that all of my few readers have probably already heard about); the Pierson family is leaving Montana! My dad found a great job in Katy, Texas, and we have been packing and storing since we found out. Our walls are art-less, our bookshelves are book-less if they are even out still, and there is still a bunch of stuff to go through.

 It will be very hard, leaving the only home I've ever really known, after all, I have lived here all of my 15 years. It will be very hard leaving my friends, whom I've known practically my whole life, and leaving behind even the people I only know by sight, the familiar faces I see whenever I go to the climbing center, or the library, or our favorite coffee shop. And it will be especially difficult to leave behind the mountains that have always been a background to my life here.

 But you know what? I'm ready for a new adventure. I'm ready and excited to live near a city, to go to the ocean, to meet new people and try new coffee shops. I'm both nervous and excited to learn to drive in a town that none of us are familiar with. I'm excited to save money so that I can fly and drive all around the country, meeting old friends and making new ones. There comes a time in everyone's lives when something changes drastically, and you can drag your feet or you can jump right in. 

 Sometimes you just have to trust that God knows what he's doing, even when it means you moving 1,700 miles to the other side of the country.

Love from the girl who's off on a new adventure,

Maddy

The values of true friendship

Hello everyone!

 My word, it's been nearly a month since my last post... consistency is not one of my virtues, apparently.

 I hope everyone has had a lovely March so far, I haven't done too much lately. Mostly school, rock climbing classes, guitar classes, the usual (that list sort of sounds like a lot of things, but it's really not). I have gotten to see my friend every week, since on Sundays we have a couple of families come over for dinner and (currently) to watch the 'Bible' series on tv. It's just lovely to see them so often. :)

 One of my very favorite things about my friends is that we know each other so well that even when we're at each others houses, we don't really need to constantly be doing something. Kenzie even brings her own laptop, and if we don't know what to do, sometimes we'll sit next to each other and go on our laptops and occasionally show each other something funny on Tumblr, or a pin on Pinterest. Other times we'll both sit in silence reading our books, or we'll listen to music without any chatting. I think it's one of the best kinds of friendships when you don't hardly have to say anything at all and you're both content with it.

 Other times, though, we can't shut up. We can ramble on for ages about some weird subject, then somehow find ourselves talking about something not even remotely related. Sometimes we chat over a pot of tea, or a bowl of hot soup. Sometimes we yell at each other angrily while playing video games. I won't even talk about what Monopoly does to us whenever I play it with my friends. Lets just say that after a game of that, we are all a bit grumpy at each other.

 What I'm saying is, I'm blessed with the most wonderful friends. They're the kind that you can meet for coffee on a short notice, or the kind that will invite you over for a couple of hours to help them bake a cake, and to chat and watch Doctor Who. I am always so thankful for my dear friends, because sometimes it's even nice just to get away from your family for a while.

 So, thanks, Cam and Kenz! You brighten up my life. :)

Love you all!

Maddy

P.S.
I would totally do the dinosaur thing. Who doesn't want a tiny domesticated dinosaur for their pet?

Psych-O's Unite!

Hello everybody!

 Soooo, not too much has been going on lately, but a little over a week ago, Kenzie, Kyra, and I all camped out in the living room for a Psych Sleepover! There was a 6-episode long Psych marathon that started at 10 and went until 4. It was so much fun :) It started at midnight in other time zones, Kenz and I were glad it didn't start that late because we barely made it to 4 in the morning. :)

 We, of course, had the necessities; Newman-O's (oreos.... but better), Snyders of Hanover (the only acceptable type of pretzel to eat ever.... and the best), popcorn (I make some dang good popcorn), and lots of delicious tea. We put down pretty much all the extra blankets and pillows in the house and had a big comfy spot to sleep on. It was so much fun. :) And I'm proud to say that Kenz and I lasted the whole time, though we had to snuggle a bit during the rather creepy episodes (Tuesday the 17th and Heeeeere's  Lassie). Because snuggling deters the freakiness a tad. Thanks, Kenz, for putting up with your obnoxious friend. Kyra slept through most of the episodes. What a lame-o.... :)

Erm.... yeah, we're idiots.

 And, of course, you can't have a big sleepover/tv show marathon without lots of comfy pajama pants! That would be ridiculous.

 We had such a ridiculously fun time. Psych is such a wonderful show, too, I don't think I've ever laughed that hard at that time of night.... probably because I'm usually asleep. 

Well, I hope everyone has a good week!

Happy pretzel eating!

Maddy

A Normal-ish Day

 Hello everyone!

 I hope everyone is doing well. :) Not too much has been going on lately here, I've gotten to see my friends a lot though, so that has been wonderful. My lovely friend Kenzie and I are actually having a Psych sleepover tonight! Pretty much we are going to stay up really late watching the Psych marathon on tv. I'm quite excited. :)

 Anywho, here are some random pictures of things I've done, or read, or projects I'm working on.... I know, it's really exciting (I still maintain that there should be some sort of font that conveys sarcasm... I'd use it.)

Started a new crochet project... pretty excited to see how it turns out!

Everyone needs a little Led Zeppelin in their life.

I got some ink and doodled! I love drawing with pen and ink.

Started a new project... But shhhh! It's a present for someone!

Suuuuper awesome book. Thank you Shelby, for getting me awesome Christmas gifts.

Just finished this Agatha Christie- very good!!

 So there you are, just some random things.... I also cooked an African meal with my friend, went to rock climbing class, had friends over for the Super Bowl.... But, yeah, I'm not too good about taking pictures of events, apparently.

 I hope everyone had a good Valentine's day :)

Have a happy day!

Maddy

Plans

Hello everyone.

 I'm a planner, most of the time. At any given time (unless it's right after I wake up) I will have a thousand ideas and plans going through my head. In reality, only a few of those things ever happen, and some haven't had the chance yet. For an example, I have big plans to travel the world, all over, and eat new foods and meet new people. I have plans to open up my own coffee shop, or used bookstore, or yarn shop. Heck, I even have exercise plans (....ermm.... not too many of those plans actually get executed...).

 But sometimes I take a break from hoping and dreaming that all of my big, ambitious dreams come true, and I allow myself to think in the moment, to randomly choose to knit something, or to draw or paint something. Because (brace yourself... I'm about to get deep) I find that if I plan too much I feel like there might come a time when I get disappointed, and I struggle with myself often about planning my whole life out instead of letting God take me where he plans. Now, I realize I'm only fourteen, and that that seems a bit extreme, planning out my life, but I am quite a dreamer, and I can't really help but look into the future and wonder what it holds for me.

 I just wanted to make a short little post about this, because it is actually something very important to me. Always, always remember that not everything in your life has to be planned out. It's totally okay to have time when you have no idea what to do, no plans. I think that lots of times we look at our lives and think that if we don't have everything exactly where we want it, or when we want it, that we will fall apart. But if you plan too much, perhaps you might miss something even better that God has planned for you.

 I know this is a tad out of character for my blog, it's missing my usual silliness and sarcasm, but I think this is something that everyone needs a little reminder of every once in a while. I love you all, my dear readers. :)

Happy dreaming!

Maddy

A Walk Downtown

  Hello everyone!

  Today Kyra and I decided to go into town and get out of the house, and, it being a whole 50 degrees out (that is actually very nice out at this time of year, I'm not being sarcastic), we went for a walk downtown.

 Downtown Bozeman is absolutely lovely, and super adorable, but we've been down Main Street so many times that it can get a bit boring (it's not a very long street). So we parked the car and went down some side streets in a very large loop, all the while chatting and hopping over ridiculously large puddles.

As we didn't really expect to be walking through giant puddles, Kyra and I both wore rather inadequate shoes, which made for quite the adventure. I, for one, don't really care what happens to my shoes as long as they aren't completely ruined, so they got a bit wet. 

   Wet feet! Mine are the ones in the Toms.... 50 degrees in Montana, we break out the summer clothes. I wouldn't necessarily suggest canvas or leather shoes for puddle jumping, however.






 I took an absurdly amazing picture of a tree stump for everyone. Prepare to be amazed...... not really.

Pretty neat tree stump, though, huh?

                                                                                                   

Cute curtains, no?

It was a very fun walk, and I truly love being able to go into town with just my sister (thank you, Kyra, for being able to drive.)

Hope everyone has a happy day!

Maddy

P.S. Here is Kyra's blog post about today... with better picture quality and a few more details. It's a pretty superb post.

“A good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them.”

Hello my friends!

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” ― Charles William Eliot

 I have recently had the great pleasure of introducing someone to a book series, one of my very favorite ones. This is, of course, Harry Potter. There is something so magical about sharing a fictional world with someone else ( hehe, magical.... you know.... because Harry Potter is a wizard..... well, I  thought it was funny). It's almost as though we have a mutual friend after I find out someone reads the same books or watches the same shows as me.

 I myself have two (real) friends. And I've found that I don't need more than that for two reasons; 1- the two friends I have are wonderful human beings, fun and kind, silly and nerdy, and 2- I have a gazillion friends in my books. I know it sounds strange, but it's the most comforting thing to know that if you need a friend you can always find one in the form of a book.

 I realize this makes me sound like kind of a weird person who is probably antisocial and only sits in her room reading, but this isn't true (well... I do read a lot in my room). I think that this quote kind of sums it up:

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”
 -George R. R. Martin

 Really, if you've read any of my other posts you should have seen this coming. A post all about books and how they are one of God's greatest creations. Because they really are. I can say that probably more than half of what goes on in my head are adventures in far off lands, conversations with fictional characters, and running all around the universe, saving worlds and people, making even more fictional friends. In books, in stories, there are absolutely no limits.

“Isn't it odd how much fatter a book gets when you've read it several times?" Mo had said..."As if something were left between the pages every time you read it. Feelings, thoughts, sounds, smells...and then, when you look at the book again many years later, you find yourself there, too, a slightly younger self, slightly different, as if the book had preserved you like a pressed flower...both strange and familiar.” ― Cornelia Funke

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.” ― Groucho Marx

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.”-Oscar Wilde

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”-C.S. Lewis

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”-Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice

I wish you all happy reading (or should I say, happy adventures? Ah, well. They are both the same, really)

Maddy

Adventures in Dressmaking

Hello Everyone :)

 I really love to sew. It's very fun and there are so many possibilities as to the things you can create, buuuuuut I'm not very good at following sewing patterns. I usually just make things up as I go along, so most of my projects usually don't turn out (although really that happens most of the time when I try to improvise a craft, such as knitting or crocheting). So I sort of surprised myself by buying dress patterns. Well, I didn't reaaaally surprise myself- I really love vintage-y dresses. I had to make a promise to myself that I was actually going to sew  these dresses, not just leave the pattern in a bin in the garage.

 And guess what? I made one! I sewed a dress! I, the queen of starting projects and not finishing them, have actually made a whole dress.  And it fits. And it has a zipper. And it has a wonderfully full skirt. And I gathered!!!! And it all worked out. Huh, who knew that when you actually follow a pattern, it turns out how you want it to. :)

 The pattern is a dream, I actually showed a picture of it in another post, it's Retro Butterick B5708, a remake of a dress pattern from 1953 (the 50's- one of my faaaavorite time periods for clothing). I made the smallest size and just hoped that it would fit (I'm not exactly to the level where I feel I can grade the pattern to my size), and it does. :) Beautifully, in fact. What luck!

 So I guess I should stop droning on about this dress and actually show you some pictures!

 There it is! It fits like a dream, almost exactly my size. And, as you can clearly see, the skirt is wonderful for twirling, which makes it the best kind of skirt. :) I plan on making a few different sashes to go with it, too, so that I can mix and match for whatever event I may be going to, whether it be a wedding or a quick trip into town.

 I am so happy with how it turned out that I am already to plan on making another dress soon, filled as I am with confidence about this success. I don't know what pattern, but I'm sure it will be quite an adventure as well. :)

 Happy sewing!

A very happy Maddy

p.s Thanks to Kyra for taking pictures for her photography inept sister!

“Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.”

 Hello everyone!

 I hope everyone had a brilliant holiday, I know I did. :)

 I got a new iPod for Christmas (thanks mom and dad!), so I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite songs that are now on it.

 1. I go to the barn because I like the -Band of Horses

2. Demons -Imagine Dragons

3.Home -Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

4. Sigh no More -Mumford and Sons (Really any of their songs are good)

5.Little Talks -Of Monsters and Men (Okay, the music video is veeeeeeeeeeeeery weird. But I like the song.)

6. A Place Only You Can Go - Needtobreathe

 So there you are! That's not even sort of near all the music I like, but it's some of it :) I apologize that there aren't links to the actual songs, but I'm not really sure how to do that (technology.... not really my thing), and I assume everyone has Youtube*. This is a pretty quick post, I'll be sure to do a longer one next time. :) Until then....

Happy 2013!

Maddy

p.s. The title is a quote by George Carlin

 *My wonderful friend posted the links to the songs in the comments :) Thanks Kenz!

A sea of white

Hello there!

 It's winter!!! On friday we all woke up to nearly a foot of snow- one of my favorite things to wake up to. There is something magical about waking up and looking out the window and seeing a sea of sparkly white  snow. :) But here we get not only snow, but extreme temperatures too. So the other day Kyra of course wanted to take pictures and enlisted me as her helper- outside where it was 7 degrees. I went out in my pajamas since I didn't think she would need me for much. A word of advice: you won't be very warm going outside in 7 degree weather if you only have tights, a nightgown, and rain boots on. Five minutes later you will realize this and go and get a coat and mittens.


 Even if I get lots of snow down my back (which I did) I still love it.

                   Plus, hot cocoa and tea and coffee are all better when it's cold out :) Along with knitting, reading, sewing watching movies, baking, and a bunch of other things.
      The cold makes some things better.

                      And some things (walking down the street, for example)
                 much worse and far less pleasant.

       

                                                                                    

Have a happy winter!

Maddy

Little Things

Hello there!

 Some days the best thing to do is just sit and read a book, or sip tea, or knit something. As I was writing in my journal this morning, I realized I have yet to do a blog post about the title of my little blog. That is, I haven't done a post about the little things. The little things like the ones I just listed, things that make you happy inside, that give you a strange little bit of peace just because something is familiar, or funny, or comfortable. So, here's a list of little things that make me happy, because it's nice to think about what you have already, the little blessings that we take for granted every day.

 1. Scarves, hats, mittens... Because sometimes all you need to cheer yourself up is to be warm and cozy.

 2. My new chair. It's the best thing in the world. Perfect size to curl up in a blanket or read a book or squeeze two people onto to watch a movie. Sometimes a favorite chair is all you need.

 3. A favorite outfit. Because, let's face it, everyone has one. Mine consists of a wonderful flannel shirt we found at a garage sale and my hand-me-down Big Star jeans that we found at a thrift store. Paired with a sweater and some fuzzy socks, or with the sleeves rolled up and my baseball cap, it's an outfit that I will wear any day.

 4. A favorite TV show. Because it's fun to curl up in a blanket and watch your favorite TV show with someone. It just is. I have a few favorites: Doctor Who (thanks to my cousin Ashley who got us hooked on it!), Psych (a hilarious show that I got my friend Kenzie to watch, now we are Psych-O's together!), Merlin (Kyra and I love this show. It's cheesy sometimes but is absolutely wonderful the rest of the time), Modern Family (just a hilarious show that we always watch as a family), and Sherlock (because who doesn't want a really well done modern version of Sherlock Holmes? Especially when it has Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in it.)

 5. Warm beds..... I'd never get out of mine if I didn't have to.

Yes, my bed is in my closet. It's very cozy.

  There are a lot more things in that list, but that would be a really very long post. I'd love to know everyone else's little blessings, though. What are some of your favorite little things?

 Onto other things, I suppose. Last night was my sister's birthday :) She turned 17. She made a superb cake (chocolate beet cake, I believe the recipe is from Joy the Baker), and got some presents, and went on a chilly little autumn photography walk with me. For her present I knitted her some fingerless gloves from my issue of Knitscene (our favorite knitting magazine). She loved them, reminding me once again of why I love giving presents :) I also gave her an extremely geeky card, which only a Doctor Who fan would understand.
Click here to see her blog post about it, along with pictures that are much better than any that I might have taken- as I've said, I'm not the photographer. She is.

 I'm also quite curious, would anyone like me to put up a recipe? Because I have lots and lots of delicious recipes I'd love to share, such as an easy quick bread, or some delicious cookies, or really whatever. Maybe I'll look through my recipes and find some options for you :)

 Well, that's all for now! I hope everyone enjoys comfy chairs and blankets and fuzzy socks as much as I do, I'll be found in my room watching Doctor Who soon, probably, because as I type this it is snowing outside.... quite a lot! Yay! I love snow :)

Happy.... whatever it is you will be doing this week!


Maddy

Knitting is the new yoga

 I love to knit.

 It's one of my favorite activities, and it's so soothing and wonderful (unless you are a beginner. Then it's a bit more stressful). It's portable! I love to be able to just grab my current project and go to a coffee shop with it and just knit and knit, all the while thinking and thinking. And I'm actually quite lucky, because, what with all the knitting websites and things (my favorite's Ravelry!) you can find the most adorable patterns.

 I just have a bit of a problem.... I have horrible project ADD. I'm not kidding! And it's not just with knitting. I have so many half finished projects that sometimes my mom has to tell me to finish one or two before I start the next one. However, luckily for you, I do sometimes finish a project, so I can proudly present to you a few of my successful knitting endeavors!

Yay!!!! Gloves!!!!!

 I am sooooo happy with how these gloves turned out. The beautiful pattern is from a book we found at Half-Price Books in Seattle (my favorite store EVER!!!!), called Knitting New Mittens and Gloves, written by Robin Melanson. It's a wonderful book with lots of easy (and some very difficult) patterns. WHY I chose to start out with gloves instead of mittens, I will never know. Definitely not my smartest move. I did mess up a couple of times, but my worst mistake was on the right thumb, if you look at it, it is definitely not as pretty as the left thumb. Oh well, lesson learned (that lesson being, don't get too cocky after the first glove and think you can do something without looking at the pattern... whoops....).

  These were my first pair of socks ever, Kyra and I both took a sock class at our favorite yarn store to learn how to make them. They aren't two at a time socks, however, so one sock is slightly bigger than the other.... but that doesn't matter! They are still the comfiest socks I own.

Our neighbors just had a baby girl, so we made them a little gift basket, along with some knitted items from both Kyra and I. I made the little fair isle hat, and had quite a bit of fun doing it, since I didn't have any pattern and I love doing fair isle. I was pretty happy with how the pom-pom turned out, since my first attempt at a pom-pom was.... less than stellar. Kyra made the adorable gray baby booties from a free pattern from Michael's. I also made some of the cutest little baby socks ever, but apparently I didn't take pictures of them. They were made out of pretty purple yarn from our stash, but I'm not actually sure what kind of yarn it was... so we told our neighbors that they might come out of the dryer felted and the size of Barbie socks. :)

 I didn't actually make this adorable little giraffe, but my beautiful friend Kenzie (in the picture) crocheted it for me. Seriously, the cutest thing ever. Kyra named it Giraffamo, a name which I started out hating and I have now accepted as his name (happy, Kyra???).

 I hope to soon start knitting sweaters and cardigans, something I have looked forward to since learning to knit. I'm betting, though, that those projects might turn into year-long projects If I start one. :)

 One thing I love about living in Montana is that whatever you knit, you get to wear for at least 8 months out of the year! It's fantastic! Besides, cold weather is the perfect knitting weather, when it's too hot it's kind of hard to knit, seeing as your hands get sweaty and it makes the yarn really hard to work with. So, another reason to like the winter, also. :)

 I have knitted many more things than that, and will knit many more in the future, but those are for another post. :)

 Until then,

 Happy knitting!

Maddy

P.S.
If you have a Ravelry, go friend me! The link to my page is to the right, below all the blogs I follow.