i won!

Today turned out to be a good day. I rested, and recovered from a super busy weekend, and ignored the blog world all day, and then tonight I discovered that I had won a beautiful prize from an adorable blog! See here. So fun!!

can't wait

I can't wait to buy some film and enjoy having some photography adventures real soon. I'd taken about a two week break from spending money on it, but I'm feeling the itch again... It's almost pay day. I'm so glad I picked up this new film hobby - it's been really fun and life-giving for me. And I need to continually work on doing purposefully life-giving things.

Photography inspiration

The Shorpy blog posts very old black and white images several times a day, and often they are really fascinating. I'm not always a huge b&w fan, but this photo of the mountains is magnificent.

Colorado circa 1901. "Ouray from Blow-out Canyon." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Publishing Co. (I also find this photo from that site really poignant and sad - sorry if that's weird. I feel like it's this really feeling picture of life when everything has fallen apart and your very last hope seems gone.)

One Love Photo is stinkin' cool. Why? Well, there's this...

Image via One Love Photo blog

And because, like me, they love film! Ok, and they're uber talented. Seriously. They are legit. They're a husband and wife wedding photography team, and in addition to using high quality digital cameras, they also capture funky/nostalgic/dreamy wedding images by using medium format cameras, and some cheap toy cams, too. You can read more about their style and gear here and see their flickr, where I especially love their film weddings set. (Can I have their job? Please? Maybe one day?)

Resolutionary

So, tonight I read a post about making fun New Years resolutions that you can keep on ohbrooke, and I thought that she made a good point. Although I probably won't do the example of buying one pair of shoes a month, I think it is a good idea to make some light-hearted goals right along with the more discipline-minded goals.

You know I've got my list of new goals going - spiritual, relational, physical... everything. Tried to keep it short-ish. I posted them in my room last night - wrote them on a normal sheet of paper, with a favorite verse from Isaiah on top, and then stuck it on the shinyshiny gold back of my last year's jumbo calender from China. Tonight when I got the idea to add fun resolutions, I added a smaller sheet of paper at the bottom, and then starting doodling all around on the gold. I think it will be a fun way to leave myself notes and pictures.


So, my additional, "fun" resolutions are:
- Weekly dance parties. Alone or with friends, watevs, no excuses! :)
- Find good clean fun ways to smile and have fun more often at work.
- Write for myself and for fun more often.

P.S. Made the new banner tonight. The photo reminded me of Nikki's post. I took it with my new Slim camera that my cousin got me for Christmas - yay!

Everyday waiting

Today I developed 7 rolls of film. As I've begun hoarding film cameras and venturing out more with them, I've been thinking about how (obviously) film involves some type of patience that digital does not. Especially w/ these plastic lensed toy cams, you just don't know what you're going to get, and that's part of the beauty. In life, for me patience usually seems overrated, but today I was reminded (in an everyday way) that waiting is a good thing. I took this picture almost two weeks ago during a super fun lunch break, and had only a hope that it might turn out well. Today when I popped my cd of new pictures in and saw this, I was just so... happy. Something there just makes me lift my shoulders up and in, and sigh, and... relax. Rest. Open up.

{On a slightly related note, I decided to get a flickr account. So, you can now see all my plastic lense adventures @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/lelijo/}

Weekend soup

• The Border Film Project. I bought this book today at Half Price, as a gift, and I couldn't help but read through the whole thing right there in the store. It's seriously compelling to see both sides of the story. There's so much voice and nearness in the photos.
  
  
  (This project also only furthered my current lean towards analog photography...)
  
  
  
• One day at work, after paying 30 cents for an afternoon pick-me-up and then re-applying my dark plum lipstick that I recently unearthed from the bottom of my makeupbag, I realized that lipstick on my Diet Coke can makes me think of my mother, and summer.
  
  
• I love it when Garret quotes Oh Brother Where Art Thou. He’s predictable, but it’s endearing: "I don't want Fop! I'm a Dapper Dan Man!"
  
  
• OMG this is hilarious - http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1752195 – STEP BOMP, STEP BOMP BOMP! Why have I never seen I before? I know it's not real, but it's still crazy funny.
  
  
• I made my hair curly this week, and wore my fuzzy brown hat and furry boots, and it reminded me of last Christmas, in China :)
  
  
  This potato mound was the best Christmas Eve Day snack ever.
  
  
  
• I bought another toy cam and it came in today; it was only $12. That means I've bought 4 this fall... I'm taking a break from buying them now. (But I also put 2 on my Christmas list...)
  
  
• At various points this week, I really missed these face masks like we wore last Christmas. I still have mine, so if you see some girl running around CS with a face warmer on...
  
  
  it could be me, or Kay, or Kristin - we all learned to rock them :)
  
  

Tonight, I am grateful. Grateful for a warm house, encouragement from strangers, the Lord pulling me towards new things even when I'm scared, good books, and sweet people. Even in the midst of unsure-ness, Father is faithful to sustain us and provide.

Country girl

So, I've pretty much always listened to some country music. But, lately I've been realizing that I really only listen to either Christian music or dance music now, lol. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.) This semester almost every time I turn on a country station, it just sounds unappealing. What's happening to me!?! ;)
So, tonightI decided to rediscover some quality country songs that make me happy/nostalgic/thoughtful/dancey. Here is my list. Judge as you will, but maybe try a few out, too!

Bring it on Home by Little Big Town
Will always make me think of Garret Austin.

Oklahoma Breakdown by Stoney LaRue
I JAM to this.

Life in a Northern Town by Sugarland, with Little Big Town
Could listen to that all stinking day.

The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert
Just recently started listening to this song. She's SO hardcore. And a little scary.

House of a Thousand Dreams by Martina McBride
Good greif I love this song.

Don't think I can't love you by Jake Owen

In Color by Jamey Johnson
Garret loves this. It makes me cry - I'm a sucker for story songs.
(Don't get distracted by the singer's nasty beard...)

Johnny and June by Heidi Newfield

You're Gonna Miss This by Trace Atkins
Cheese from creepy Trace, yes, but it really resonated last year.

Sick and Tired by Cross Canadian Ragweed
"Memories, overrated, all they do is get you damn frustrated."

Crazyfun party songs - for all the wild partying I do:
Love by Roger Creager (!), and The Everclear Song also by Creager
The Road Goes on Forever by Robert Earl Keen
Wear my Ring by the Bart Crow Band

Tah-da!

Our engagement pictures are in! Yipee! I got the links today while I was at work, and it made it really hard to concentrate! I just wanted to look at them and pick out my favorites and have fun!

Here's the slideshow - http://www.fidelisstudio.com/client_slideshow/GarretandLeslie - my fave from that is definitely the last one. I looove that chimney by the snakehouse on our farm. And of course I love it when Garret makes me laugh, which is a lot :)

Also, here's the whole gallery of photos, where there are lots more good ones! The password is leslieandgarret: http://www.kmdfoto.com/pickpic/gallery/splash.php?gallery_id=60. Some of the kissymushy pictures are awkward, but on the whole I really like how they all turned out. That was such a fun day! Which ones are your faves? I'll give you time to form your opinions... okay - some of my faves are: 14, 3, 29, 38, 39, 5, 7 and 9.

Now, our wedding to-do list for the next month or two is: design save the dates, finalize the guest list & round up everyone's addresses, decide where we want to register and maybe start, find bridesmaid dresses, pick florist & caterer. Yeah... that's all I can think of. Planning really has been pretty chill so far. I really want to plan a wedding that is Christ-centered, but also plan it in a manner worthy of the Gospel. Confession: I have very little idea of how to do this. You've probably heard this idea from me before, but I think I'm going to start a blog about planning a wedding and preparing for marriage from a Gospel-minded perspective. See, I wanted to read this blog originally, but I can't find such a thing, so I think I should just write about my journey. I've actually already started it, but I want to get a good amount of content in it before I show it to anyone. So... yeah, please share with me any thoughts you have on that, and I'll have more to share soon!

IT'S ON

So, tonight my friend Sydney and I decided that we're going to have a "blog-off."

For the month of October, whoever posts the most entries wins. (Wins what? Haven't figured that out yet. Syd - we should also probably make some rules for this, like what qualifies as a truly legit post. Don't try nothin' shady!)

This is us in happy, less-competitive days ;)

It all started bc she was in town and hangin' out at the shalom shack, chattin'. When the subject of blogs came up, I accused her of not blogging recently, and then she put that evil back on me and the truth came out that I hadn't posted anything since... Aug. 17. Her last one was Sept. 11.

So we declared a it contest: The Blog-off. Me & this blog vs. Sydney & The Vault.


BRING IT, SYD!

lunch break

Just chilling in my office for lunch today, and trying to read/watch/listen to things that are life-giving or at least thought-provoking while I eat my yogurt...

• This video on missions was really moving.
• I love listening to Lindsey Kane.
  
• This article on the Michael Vick controversy and what it says about American culture was thought provoking.
• This short, cute story was funny.

(This was def better than my usual routine of looking at wedding stuff on Etsy. It's addicting.)

So...I have a new favorite shiny thing...

So, I'm pretty sure anyone who reads my blog already knows this, but yes, Garret and I are engaged! Praise Jesus! I'm veryveryveryvery thankful to have completed the awkward in-between-time b/w commitment and engagement! It's finally sinking in that we really are engaged and really are going to get married in less than a year!!! We're working on a wedding website, and I'll post it here when it's done. For now, here's the proposal story, via some tag-team story telling, and a few photos. More to come later! (This photo where he's on one knee was a reenactment, the day after - just fyi!)

Our Engagement Story

Leslie: The weekend of July 24, I had planned on going home for my Dad’s birthday, but Garret asked if we could stay in town Friday night so that we could have a date night. At first I was a little stubborn about it, but I finally changed my mind, and we planned on going out to eat and then taking a walk around campus. I thought it was just a normal, fun, relaxed date night – I had no idea what he had up his sleeve!

Garret: First, a little back story. For the two weeks previous to the 24th, I had been driving all over the place, sneaking out of town to have the official, “Can I marry your daughter talk” with her dad, buying the ring and taking care of all sorts of other things. I had to figure out a way to get her to stay in town, and it was really stressing me out. Finally, with the help of our close friends she agreed to stay for a supposed date night. Friday night came up and I was so excited. I had never been more confident and nervous about something in my life. We went out to dinner after work and had some good Mexican food and an ice cold Shiner. After dinner we took a walk along our favorite areas of campus, and we ended up at Rudder Tower on our favorite balcony. We sat there for a few minutes before I said, “I need to ask you something.” I pointed to her True Love Waits rings, and said “I’m going to need those.” I hit one knee and said “Will you marry me?” and she said…

Leslie: “SHUT UP! REALLY!?!” – and then “YES!!!!”
I was COMPLETELY SURPRISED! I knew it was for real, and I was SO excited! But also, I was totally in shock! Garret did a great job at surprising me and I really had no idea it was going to happen so soon! After he slid a beautiful diamond ring on my finger, we enjoyed the moment for a while, and I tried to let it sink in that we really were engaged! Before we left the balcony, we prayed together, and that’s when it began to solidify in my mind – I’m really going to marry Garret Lee! God is good.

After that, Garret told me that both of our families, Kristi and Derek, and many of our friends were all waiting at my house for an engagement party. I was really excited about that, because I’d specifically asked Garret to orchestrate that if he could – and he did SO good! (And my wonderful roomies helped him out a lot!)

Everyone was waiting in the yard when we pulled up, and that was so much fun! We told everyone the story, took lots of pictures, and celebrated! All in all, it was a wonderful weekend.

two two

I turned twenty two today! That's crazy! All in all it was a very fun day: quality time with Garret, fun party time with my roomies and some of my favorite people, ice cream, EA videos, and some dancin.

Me, with my birthday flowers from Mom, leis from the roomies, and silliness from Maggie ;)

I know it's been a while, so here's a brief serious and funny update on my life...

- I graduate in six weeks. This is craziness.
- I need a full-time job in BCS for after graduation.
- I'm struggling with managing my time well, and I've stunk at it for so long that I now have trouble not just resigning myself to the sleep-deprived cycle.
- This video makes me laugh A LOT!!
- I'm procrastinating right now.
- These are some of my new favorite songs: While I'm Waiting by John Waller, Yours by Steven Curtis Chapman, and I Don't Feel Like Dancin by the Scissor Sisters.

Spring Break

I know this is real late, but here's some fun photos from my last Spring Break!

During our roommate weekend extravaganza we had a day at the park and enjoyed playing games, resting in hammocks, and of course swinging on the swings! I love my roomies! After our Shalom Shack Extravaganza weekend, I went home for the rest of the break and enjoyed time with family and friends. It was pretty restful and not too busy.

One night Garret and I, and our BFFS Derek and Kristi all went out fishing at the lake. Me and Kristi were mostly excited. ;)

Friday night Garret and I went out C&W dancing and that was way fun. I had a blast dancing with my man!

My friend from home Lauren, who I've known since kindergarten, got married Saturday. She looked gorgeous! We had a fun time at the wedding. (Above: me, Lauren, Chrissy and Kristi)

Garret and I had a good time at the wedding and enjoyed catching up with old friends.

I also got to see my awesome sister Melissa and her husband Glen. Here they are in their apartment, with a scroll I brought them from EA. I love them a lot :)