Bread Art Project for Feeding America

A friend of mine posted about the Bread Art Project this week, and I thought it was super cool, so I participated, and I hope you'll think about it too!

Simply visit the website for the Bread Art Project, create a piece of artwork using a photo that you upload, and $1 will be donated to Feeding America. Feeding America works to help feed the hungry in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, and their website says that a $1 donation helps them provide 10 pounds of food to people who are hungry.

I first heard about this organization (then called Second Harvest) when I was a student at Calvin, and helped out one afternoon as part of Streetfest during new student orientation. I can't remember the details, but it was amazing to see the warehouse of food they were able to redirect to hungry people. The day I spent with them, we spent hours taping labels on unmarked cans of green beans. The pallets of beans couldn't be sold because they hadn't been properly labeled, so they were donated. By taping labels on them, they could be given to people who needed them. It was pretty amazing to think a few hours of time doing something simple really helped people who needed it.

So, what are you waiting for? Go create some bread art. :) I picked a favorite photo of my trip to Hawaii a couple years ago for my bread art. It was so much fun I might create a few more!

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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Thankful Thursday: Strawberries

I spent the night last night at my Grandma's place, a convenient stopover between two days of "vacation" I took during this week's spring break from classes.

When I called Wednesday afternoon to let her know what time I'd be arriving that night, she told me there were fresh strawberries waiting for me at her house. Grandma knows I LOVE strawberries, and since they are in season, she went out of her way to buy some since I would be staying at her house.

It's so special when someone does something like that. Something just for me, just because they know they can make my day special. I love you Grandma. Thanks for making my day.

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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Thankful Thursday: Time to Chill

Last weekend, I was ready to bang my head against the wall. It was Saturday, and I was trying my hardest to work ahead and study for a Tuesday test. Who knew it was possible to study before the last minute? So I'm diligently working my way through the review material and things are going fine until I meet problem number 4 in chapter 5. Solving this problem requires use of a concept I have seen before, so I quickly work the problem to arrive at ... the wrong answer. I think I know what went wrong, so I erase like crazy and try again. And again. And AGAIN. Seriously? Still wrong?!!?

I find myself in a resentful state of mind: if I'm going to spend my Saturday night doing homework, it would be nice if I at least accomplish something. Because I can think of a LOT of other things I would rather be doing.

After several failed attempts with no greater insight into the cause of the wrong answer, I give up. I turn to something that calms my mind and helps me relax: I spend time creating. This is a dangerous alternative, as anyone who creates anything knows, because creating something wonderful can be difficult. The desired effect can be elusive. But I risk it because I just can't deal with my calculator anymore. Luckily, odds were in favor of success in this pursuit: I decided to make some homemade greeting cards, and I was already in possession of some fabulous raw materials.

There is satisfaction in overcoming a challenge and arriving at that "aha" moment when everything comes together. There is intrinsic reward in working hard. But sometimes, I crave more immediate success. Sometimes I need to accomplish something without relying on the resources within every last brain cell. Sometimes, it's nice to start something you know you can finish well.

I didn't get any more homework done on Saturday night, but the cards I made became birthday gifts at our family party on Sunday. Best of all, I went to bed relaxed and satisfied with my accomplishments. Later, a friend from class was able to enlighten me and point out the very basic mistake in my calculations, thereby putting me back on track to being prepared for Tuesday. And the detour wasn't so bad either.






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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

You know someone is a true friend when...

...they call to tell you about a great shoe sale! For whatever reason, Crocs was having a huge warehouse sale near where I live, for four days only. My friend called me on Thursday, the first day, to tell me about it. I honestly didn't know if I'd be able to make it to that part of town, and I admit I was skeptical that it would be worth an extra trip. But this afternoon I was able to stop by because I had another errand literally right across the street. So why not?

Well... four pairs of Crocs later, I'm pretty excited about my finds. The silver pair, which exactly replaces a pair I've completely worn out, was only $5!!! Holy cow!! I'd been planning to buy a pair of the flip flops for this summer, but for the regular full price of one pair, I got two pairs with enough leftover for... well, more shoes! Thanks Dorissa!!!


The sale also had boxes and boxes of Jibbitz, the little decorations for Crocs. I've been wanting some, and when I found this cute little turtle, I couldn't resist.

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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/

Book: Twilight

I just had to read this book and see what all the fuss was about. I mean, if millions of people are reading it, it must be good, right?

Perhaps if I was seventeen again, this would be exactly the kind of story I would love. Perhaps if I was seventeen again, I wouldn't be as terribly pragmatic as I am today, and would be able to overlook the problematic aspects of falling in love with a vampire. Like the Sweet Valley High books I read when I was in high school, this romance satisfies the ideal romance that the average seventeen-year-old might have: stolen glances across the cafeteria, passing notes during class and who is going to invite you to prom. Only the guy happens to be a vampire.

Perhaps if I was seventeen again, I would be able to overlook more than 300 pages of what seemed like relatively mediocre writing to reach the point where the plot was interesting enough to qualify as a page-turner. The early chapters of this book definitely had me wondering what the millions were thinking. Not that I claim to be a brilliant writer, but I'd like to think I can identify it now and then... and rightfully conclude that this wasn't it. I may be a bit harsh as the book was written for high-schoolers, and therefore my expectations may have been too high; but I've lost count of the number of my contemporaries who rushed out to see the movie when it was released recently.

Although single, my 30something idea of romance is quite a bit different than it was when I was seventeen. Yes, I would love it if you send me flowers and magically save my life when I'm in imminent peril, but will you help me navigate the daily challenges of life and love? A romantic walk in the woods is nice, too, and if you're a good kisser like the book's hero, all the better... but if you don't happen to be human, I'm just not seeing a long-term future for us.

So that said, the debate is on: to read or not to read the rest of the series? This book would have been a great light read for a long plane ride or afternoon on the beach, so the next time I am anticipating that kind of free time, I might reach for number two. After all, the teaser chapter at the end of book one did kind of capture my interest. Once I got the the good part, I really couldn't wait to see how it ended, and I admit I'm kind of curious to know what happens next.

Twilight
by Stephenie Meyer
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Originally posted at: http://rebeccasmiscellanies.blogspot.com/