steps to surviving an unseasonable snowstorm (without electricity)

 Step 1:  Play a family game of Monopoly

Step 2:  Make a fire & read on the couch 

(that's my bro & his girlfriend Natalie...they came home from school for the weekend and got snowed in.)

Step 3:  Give in and go for a walk.  Storm Trooper helmet optional.

Step 4:  Decide you can overcome this storm no matter what.

via

I apologize in advance if I'm scarce around these parts this week.  We still don't have electricity (which unfortunately, means no running water) here.

While I do love sleeping under a pile of blankets, I don't particularly love doing it out of necessity.

Oh, and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
(If you find yourself with extra candy, feel free to send it my way.  Really, I won't mind.)

This is NOT ok.

 This is my backyard at present.  

I live in Pennsylvania.  

I might have accepted, or even expected, this from Massachusetts; but not here, not in PA.  I'm devastated.  Fall is my favorite season, and I hate when winter tries to shorten it's glory. 

This might be worse than the time that I was stuck in the Philly airport because of snow in Boston on October 18th.

I even wore the perfect fall outfit yesterday in hopes of warding off the snow storm. 

Yes, I fully believe that my clothing choice could change the weather forecast.  Don't judge.

(hey look!  I took a semi-decent photo of myself!)

Is it snowing where you are?  How do you feel about snow in October?

Sponsor Spotlight: Grace of Her Umbrella

Today I'm presenting to you another new sponsor!

Grace blogs over at Her Umbrella, where she writes about "life's little decorations" 

(um, how adorable is that?)

Oh, and when I asked Grace what she would sell if she could own any type of store, she answered "bridal gowns".  I think I like this girl. 

My name is Grace Fleming - insert “Lynne” when needed. Once December rolls around I’ll be graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a B.A. in Communications. I’m from the outskirts of Nashville, TN and I couldn’t imagine calling anywhere else home.

Her Umbrella is just a collection of my life’s little decorations - whether it’s a love for sampling the world, empty candy wrappers, books filled with scribbled ideas or stupid people that keep showing up - they’ve all found a place underneath, adorning everyday with a little more sparkle.

Decorate your life!

Check out Grace at Her Umbrella!

And if you're interested in sponsoring & being featured on HTB, check out the details here!

Yeah, we're fierce. (Maybe?)

It's occurred to me today that I really have no good recent photos of myself.  Apparently, I've forgotten how to smile like a normal person.  It's so sad, since only a year ago, I managed to make it through a photo shoot with my apartmentmates.  

Most of the time these days, when I'm around a camera, I'm doing a shoot for someone else.  But I found these photos from the day that I did the Chromatic Wakeup shoot in August, and they made me laugh, so I just needed to share.  And trust me, these are the best from that day.  Sad, right?

I don't even know.  I'm hiding maybe?  There's just so much going on here.

Are you watching The New Girl?  I'm clearly channeling some Jess right here.  "Hey Sailor!"

This last one showcases my "fierce face."  Really, I just look disapprovingly at the camera.

Disclaimer:  

It was hot.  I just finished doing a shoot with 6 guys.  I wasn't exactly prepared to have the lens turned on me.  Seriously...I didn't even have my cute cream pearl-adorned cardigan on.  Boo.

But really, this is proof of why I don't post pictures of myself on here these days.  

Good ones just don't exist right now.  

Sponsor Spotlight: Hannah of A Cup of Subtle Tea

I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the lovely Hannah of A Cup of Subtle Tea.

Hi! My name is Hannah and I am the girl behind A Cup of Subtle Tea. I am a crafter, baker, planner, diyer and all around sillypants enjoying life in a new city with my boyfriend and spending way to much time inside.

This blog is my little corner where I can share my adventures in a new city, recipes, DIY projects and my weekly feature Teal Tuesday. To say that I am obsessed with all shades of teal would be an understatement! Most of all this is my little world where I can record my memories and meet a few new friends.

So head on over to A Cup of Subtle Tea and check out what Hannah is blogging about!

Interested in sponsoring Heavens to Betsy?  Click here for details!

currently I'm...

hope is the thing with feathers

I've been learning a lot about hope these days, particularly about having hope in a season where I think it would be easier to abandon it entirely.

But that's the thing about having faith in a God who has my best interests at heart.

In the times when I'd like to just walk away, I know better.

I once blogged about feeling like I didn't really know what it meant to hope after I heard a dear friend share her heart on the tough ways she learned to hope. On Saturday, I had a conversation with that same friend that put things into perspective once again.  

I think Emily Dickinson hit the nail on the head when she wrote that hope never stops and never asks anything of us, but I think she was off a little when she described it as "the thing with feathers".  

Because hope has a weight to it. 

It meets you right where you are and picks you up and helps you walk on.

It whispers encouragement and holds you accountable.  

 It reminds you that the thing that you long for the most and search for so avidly won't be fulfilled by this world, but by Jesus Christ. 

And most of all, it paves the way for joy.

my weekend according to my iphone

{I went to TWO bonfires/hayrides yesterday!  hooray for fall bucket lists!} 

{pumpkins, because it's fall} 

{my friend's new kitten, Rex & my pup, Kasey}

{Mums the word}

{tea & homework, as per usual}

{time for Uggs...aka the warmest things I've ever put on my body}

{dear friends saying their vows!  hooray for love!}

I promise I took real photos with my real camera.  And I promise I'll be sharing them soon!

Excuse me while I get on my soap box.

Every once in a while, I like to write about the things that really get my fired up; the things that I'm really passionate about (see here and here).  Last night, I spent an entire grad class talking and learning about critical literacy, or the practice of incorporating books that have some weight into your curriculum.  Books about homelessness, socioeconomic class differences, racial tension, even Japanese American internment camps during WWII.  The practice is meant to start young students on the path of becoming socially conscious people with a heart and mind for things like social justice.  When my prof asked for us to line ourselves up on a continuum from 1 to 10 with 1 being "I love this, I NEED to incorporate it into my classroom" and 10 being "It's not for me.", let's just say I was as far on the side of 1 as I could go.  

My time at Gordon shaped me into a lot of things, one of which was someone with a heart for social justice issues.  There are a few that I'm exceptionally passionate about (namely urban ed and getting clean water sources into places that have none), but pretty much any issue can and will tug at my heart strings (and yes, I have two pairs of TOMS).

Right now, I'm working on my M.Ed in Multicultural Education.  Eventually, I want to become a teacher in an urban center and maybe someday get my doctorate or law degree and go into policy writing or work for a NGO that champions education reform.  

But right now, in this season, I'm learning.  I'm learning what it means to be a compassionate and  effective teacher.  I'm learning how to get a first grader to understand that there is injustice in the world and that they can play a role in changing it.  And I'm going to classes that (finally) are reminding my why I'm staying up til 1 am writing papers and rearranging my schedule to do observations and jumping through hoops to find someone to interview for this or that.  

For the first time in a while, I'm remembering what God has called me to, and that answering that call, and answering it well, is what it's all about.

via

there's something you need to know about me.

I'm fickle.

Maybe one of the most indecisive people you'll ever know.
I'm never able to choose a restaurant.

I can decide I'm going to buy something, and then, after 5 minutes, it's back on the rack.

I can talk myself in and out of going somewhere or doing something. 

And I can change the layout or header of my blog 4 times in 2 months before I decide I like it.

My apologies for this last one.  

I think its funny when...

...I see social media worlds colliding.  Por ejemplo:  Earlier today, I saw a tweet from Joy the Baker about Midnight Black Chocolate Pudding.  Later, I saw a friend pin the recipe on Pinterest.

...my dad texts me telling me that he forgot to use the Neti Pot last night.  I introduced him to it on Sunday, and while he complained the entire time, I think he's hooked.

...I feel grown-up when I have lunch at Barnes & Noble so I can sit and do homework.  Mostly because today, my homework consisted of reading "Everything You Need to Know About Geography Homework for 4th-6th Grade", which was written for 10-year olds.

...I find myself craving apple crisp.  I've never liked apple desserts before this fall.

...a friend says exactly what's on my mind.  I always feel sort of lame saying "I was just about to say that!", but I usually blurt it out anyway.

This photo has nothing to do with the rest of this post.  But it seems to have turned into random Tuesday, so I thought it fitting to include it.

I hope your Tuesday is going well.  Let's hear it for randomness.

senior portraits

I've been busy shooting & editing two senior portrait sessions.  Here's a sneek peak, but head over to my photography portfolio to see more!

Zac

Alex

History repeats itself.

A few months ago, I was in a bit of a funk, and I posted this list.  For the past few weeks, I've been in a similar funk (ironically because of pretty much the exact same situation) and without even really realizing it, I was feeling the tug of that same list again.  Except this time, I can actually check a few things off of it. 

1.  Traveling:  I was in Massachusetts last weekend, will be in Delaware this weekend, and in Mass again next weekend!

2.  Camera:  I bought myself the D7000 in July (I love it).  Still no 50mm lens yet, but I've got my eye on this one.  

3.  Jetta:  Not yet, but I still love them.

4.  Apartment:  Still living with Mom & Dad, but I'm so busy that it's really nice to come home to a familiar place.  (And that whole no rent thing is pretty sweet too)

5.  A certain nose piercing:  that's for me to know and you to find out.

6.  Day in the city:  Going to NYC early next month!

7.  Feather extension:  been there, done that, early in the summer.

8.  Making a Difference:  We're about to launch a fundraiser at work to raise money for digging clean water wells in Kenya.  Working on something that has some weight is invigorating.  I love it.

9.  Challenged by classes:  this semester, this rings true!  I'm learning things I'll actually use someday, and while I'm still not getting rousing lectures or heated debates, I do feel challenged.  

10.  Adventure:  Hmmm...not so sure I've had an adventure lately, but maybe I'll be surprised in the weeks to come!

Sometimes it's good to be a little retrospective and take a look at what you've done and where you've been in the past few months. (And to check things off of a list)
But don't be fooled, I still have almost this entire list to check off.  I'll be real, I haven't been doing so well with my fall bucket list.

This time, I think I'm going to come out of this funk stronger and happier. 

thank you, iphone, for always being there for me.

and by that, I mean being there to redeem me when I've once again forgotten to bring my camera with me, despite my "I will take my camera everywhere I go" resolution.

So here's what's new from my phone:

My first pie!  Credit for the design goes to Christine Hunkler.  I completely stole it.

I think that's a secret I'm still trying to learn, but verses like this give me hope.