"Hey, what are you doing up here?"

by: Bethany

 

  Accordion to Kellie was one of the first blogs we found after we started our own, and we have aways loved the tulle skirts she makes.

   For Becca's graduation present from me, I bought her one, and another for myself. We were so excited as we waited for them to come in the mail.

  Then they came. 

We opened the package and tried the skirts on, loving the fun colors.

As we stood in front of the mirror, our enthusiasm diminished:

"Wow, these are really fluffy. What do we wear them with?"

"I don't know. Kellie's outfit's always look so cute, but I just feel...poofy."

We didn't want to look like five year olds in tutus, but each top we tried to pair with the puffy skirts didn't seem to work in quite the way we hoped.

So we set them aside for a while, hoping we'd figure how to wear them.

This week, we picked up some new (to us) tops at Goodwill, and we tried out the tulle skirts again. 

After wearing our new outfits to church, Becca and I drove out to a favorite place to take some pictures.

Skirt in Jade tulle

Skirt in Williamsburg Blue

As we climbed back in the truck and headed off, a guy in an ATV pulled along side us. We said a polite hello, thinking he would pass us and be on his way, but he stopped.

"Hey, what are you doing up here?" he asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Umm, we're just taking pictures. It's a nice day and there's pretty scenery."

"Taking pictures?"

"Yeah..."

(Couldn't he see how beautiful we looked? Becca was half tempted to snap a picture of him at that moment.)

"Like, senior pictures?"

"No... we have a blog that we're taking them for..."

"Ok." He pulled away slowly, still giving us a strange look. 

He must have lived at a nearby farm and saw us up on the hill. What did he think we were doing up there? Rustling his cows, trampling his crops, or snatching his asparagus in our tulle skirts?

It was really weird, and as we hurried on our way, we talked about all the different ways we could have responded to him.

We just watched the old movie, "You Can't Take It With You" last night (by the way, a most adorable movie. It's like "Meet the Robinsons" meets "Up" meets "It's a Wonderful Life."), so our first thought was we should have responded like this... 

]

                                                              ...and floored it. 

WAAAAAA!

That guy would know better than to mess with blogger girls again. :)

P.S. We are headed off on a road trip the beginning of July, so we will be taking a break from posting. We'll have some fun posts in couple of weeks!

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Beautiful People - June Edition || Bethany's Characters

Over our time following other writers' blogs, I've noticed this fun link up, and always enjoyed reading about other people's characters. So I thought, hey! I should try this!

I actually haven't been working on my novel as diligently as I should, and my poor characters are feeling rather neglected. Maybe if I let them say "hello", they'll know they are not forgotten. :)

 So without further ado, my two main characters from Long Road From Canaan

1) What is their full name and is there a story behind why they got it? 
Shalin son of Danel.
Shalin doesn't have much of a story behind his name, I found it by researching lists of Canaanite kings and idols. I came across Shalim, god of dusk, and liked the sound of it. I changed the last letter to make it a bit different, and there we have it!  I think I just made up the name Danel. ;) 

2) How old are they, and when were they born? 
Shalin begins the story around the age of 18, but 4-5 years pass throughout the course of the book. I haven't figured out an exact birthday for him, but some time around 900 B.C.


3) Describe their physical appearance. (Bonus questions: 1. What is their race/nationality/ethnicity? 2. Do you have a picture of them? If so, include it!) 
Shalin is tall; 6 foot or so, lean, and athletic. He has black, wavy hair, dark tan skin, large deep brown eyes and a bright smile. He is a Phoenician, or more specifically, a Canaanite, although most of his people were destroyed by the Israelites many years before.
  Sorry, no picture.

4) Describe your character's personality first in one word, and then elaborate with a few sentences. 
Fun-loving (sorry, is that two words?). I think that sums him up pretty well. Shalin goes through a lot in his life, but he's never serious for long, is a bit of a practical joker, and he doesn't miss opportunities for having fun.

5) What theme song(s) fit their personality and story arc? 
The More, by Mikeschair fits Shalin and his story arch to perfection! The chorus is a little too repetitive, but that's just a personal pet-peeve of mine (and Becca's).

6) Which one of the seven deadly sins describes your character?
Envy.


7) If they were an element (fire, water, earth, air), which one would they be? 
Water.


8) What is their favorite word? 
I don't think he has a favorite word.
 
9) Who’s one person they really miss? (It could be someone who’s passed away, or someone they’re not close to anymore, or someone who’s moved away.)
Shalin misses his little sister, Sarina. They are a couple years apart in age, and they were very close until...well, I can't tell you!


10) What sights, sounds, and smells remind them of that person?
Pretty things like jewelery and silks, happy music, and fruit tree blossoms. 

 Inspiration Pins for Shalin:

1) What is their full name and is there a story behind why they got it? 
 Next we have Raisa, second daughter of Niran. Her name is Hebrew, and means "Rose". It's just a pretty name I found, so there's not really a story behind it.
 
2) How old are they, and when were they born?
Raisa is 16 at the beginning of the story.
 
3) Describe their physical appearance. (Bonus questions: 1. What is their race/nationality/ethnicity? 2. Do you have a picture of them? If so, include it!) 
 Raisa is 5'5", slender, long black curly hair, brown eyes with long lashes, and a tan complexion. She is an Israelite.
 
4) Describe your character's personality first in one word, and then elaborate with a few sentences. 
 Practical. Raisa tries to be very practical to help her family, and can be a bit of a pessimist. Her attitude is usually based on how her day in going, which isn't always good. She's reserved with people she doesn't know very well, is slow to trust, and gets annoyed if people (*cough, cough* Shalin), don't take her seriously.
 
5) What theme song(s) fit their personality and story arc?
 It takes Raisa some time to get to this point with Shalin, but after that, the song "I Won't Give Up" makes me think of her. I'm not familiar with the original version, but I love Emily and Amy-Joy Jost's cover of it.

6) Which one of the seven deadly sins describes your character? 
Pride.
. 
7) If they were an element (fire, water, earth, air), which one would they be?
I'd say, earth.

8) What is their favorite word? 
 Wow, this is a hard question! I don't think Raisa has a favorite word either.

9) Who’s one person they really miss? (It could be someone who’s passed away, or someone they’re not close to anymore, or someone who’s moved away.)
First, that would be her older sister Avia, after she gets married and moves to a new home. And then it would be...Spoilers!

10) What sights, sounds, and smells remind them of that person?  
N/A

Inspirations Pins for Raisa:

Things We Like About Dad...

Just like we did on Mother's Day, we're going to do a similar thing for our dad. Except this time, we have our original list, so be prepared for some funny stories to go along with it.

This is the box we made to hold the list, 

decorated with some of our dad's favorite things. :)

 Onto, "Things We Like About Dad".

(edited for spelling and grammar)

#1 "You can go 4-wheeling with us"

#2 "You get us stuck, but you always get us out"

These first two go together. Our dad loves to go 4-wheeling. We used to have an old Suburban and pretty much every winter we would go out driving in the country and bust through snow drifts. On a couple occasions, we would go through a drift that was a little too deep for the truck.

Dad would always get us home safe, but sometimes that meant walking through blizzards in our jimjams.  :)

#3 "You take us on really cool adventures.

 It's really fun to go hiking with you"

Dad's tying my (Becca) shoe :)

#4 "You do a lot of cool things with us, like bringing us to the movies."

This year for Father's Day we're taking him to the movies.  :)

#5 "You're funny"

Our dad has a great sense of humor, and loves to goof off, but surprisingly, most people think he's very serious when they first meet him.

#6"You are kind and patient"

#7"You are smart"

#8 "You teach us a lot of stuff"

#9"You know a lot about the Bible"

This group kind of goes together too. With being homeschooled, our mom did most of the teaching, and we joked that Dad was our principle. But our dad has taught us so much as well. Besides being a patient driver's ed teacher, (even when I (Beth) about crashed into our local grocery store), our dad taught us how to shoot, and most importantly, he has been a strong spiritual leader for our family, and is a wonderful example to us in the way he diligently studies the Bible.

#10 "You get us doughnuts"

For a long time, it was a tradition for Dad to get doughnuts for us every Saturday morning. 

Now that we're older, that doesn't happen as often; if we want doughnuts, we can drive ourselves to the bakery. :)

#11 "You can drive a cool boat"

Whenever he gets the chance, our dad loves to drive speed boats, jet skis, you name it. It isn't very practical for us to own a boat where we live, but whenever there's a chance to rent one, our dad takes it.

#12 "You're sooooo strong!"

Our dad was in the Marines, and he's always kept up a schedule of lifting weights. He does his sets in between loads of laundry. Oh yes, our dad takes care of most of the household laundry! 

He's a great dad. :)

#13 "You're so cool!"

#14 "You take care and provide for us"

#15 "You're the best dad in the world, and we love you!"

Retro Camper Renovation || Part 2

Our next step in getting our camper ready for its renovation was to completely empty it out.

You wouldn't believe all the little cubbies it has for storing stuff, and each one had quite the assortment of things inside.

We found just about anything you would need on a camping trip; pots and pans, plates, cups, silverware and various other utensils, dish drainers, a table cloth, a lantern, matches, a jackknife, etc...

And we found a few other interesting items.

This is a cast iron string level. We did some research on how old it was, and found that this kind was made in the late 1800's! 

On one of the shelves, I found four decks of playing cards.

I guess you can never have too many of those; anyone up for a giant game of Spoons? :)

Last week, while giving a friend a tour, we noticed the ceiling was a little saggy.

Hmmm... It always looked like that, didn't it?

The last couple days had been raining pretty hard, and what was this trail of water on the floor?

Oh, something's dripping over here...

We rummaged in one of the drawers for the jackknife, and started poking into the ceiling.

Us: "Quick! Get a bucket or something....here's a trash can! Oh my goodness, we have our own shower in here now!"

A steady stream of water drained out of the ceiling for, oh, about 5-10 minutes

After it slowed, we decided to see how far the damage went.

The soggy cardboard/insulation pulled off pretty well.

Yup, we have just a bit of a water problem. It must come in around the skylight/vent in the roof.

The ceiling needed to be replaced anyway.

Just think of all the things we're going to learn how to do with this whole project. 

What a fun opportunity!

:)

Just Visiting

Does anyone recognize this beautiful young lady?

It's been a bit since you've seen her last; think back to earlier this year....

She's Maid Marian! All grown up!

Her name isn't Marian any more, her new owner named her Ariel.

Becca is pet sitting Ariel this week, and to make it easier, she's staying at our house.

It's so fun to see our little babies all grown up and happy in their new homes.

A Trio of Teacups

By Becca

I have three lovely teacups I want to show you;

the very beginning of my collection.  :) 

The first is the most precious and my favorite of the three.

It was given to me by my Grandma, whose beautiful teacup collection inspired me to begin my own.

She wrote a note that I'd like to share with you.

Dear Rebecca:

I understand that you have started a tea cup collection.  So for part of your graduation gift I wanted to give you one of my cups that I have been collecting over the years.

This particular cup belonged to my grandmother, your great great grandmother, Nellie Hartog Wiersma.  Neeltje ( her Dutch name) was born on February 21, 1883 in Goes, Zeeland, in the Netherlands. When she was nine years old her family immigrated to the United States. They first lived in Colorado but later moved to northwest Iowa.

She had seven children, three girls and four boys. During the Great Depression they lost their farm in Edgerton, Minnesota. Later they moved to Lynden, Washington.  She died in Lynden in 1947 at the age of 65. Her youngest son, Elmer, served on the USS Bullhead during WWII and was lost at sea in 1945.  Her last words to her husband were: "God's will be done. May we meet again in heaven."

May this cup and saucer remind you of some of your grandmothers in the Wiersma family.

Love,

Grandma Canaan

The second teacup was a graduation present from some dear friends of ours.

By the Art Deco style we are guessing it was made around the 1920's.

We think that M. Carner is the artist who painted the wild rose design.

Wouldn't that be a fantastic job?

The last, but not least, in my collection is the most recent addition.

Mom found it in an antique shop and knew that I'd love it :)

Dandelions, a cheerful and determined little flower that most people consider a weed... 

I love them!

Don't they look elegant on this teacup?

"Tea! That's all I needed. A good cup of tea. A superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin. Just the thing for heating the synapses. "

- Tenth Doctor, Christmas Invasion

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