Keep Calm and Carry On

So. Here I am again....

Last Monday I went into my salon to work for the last time. If my client hadn't have been a personal friend I probably wouldn't have gone in at all and asked them to give the client to another stylist. They had let me know the Thursday prior. The economy just isn't supporting the both of us. And for an up-and-coming to be sitting, waiting, in a salon for perspective clients when 99.9998% of walk-ins are already regulars to another stylist there, well it's not really helping to build the clientele. 

So, I'm on the hunt. Again. While I am looking, I am running a small salon out of my home. It'd be stupid not to, seeing as I have all the equipment in my living room, except for a legit salon sink...but someday, maybe ;)

Even though I am technically jobless right now, I am strangely peaceful, and once again am reminded of how blessed I am with the friends God has given me. One by one, as I let them know about my situation, they each responded with different ways of comfort. 

A group of us went to a midnight movie premiere and giggled together for the three hours that we sat waiting. One called me within seconds of receiving the "I've lost my job" text, and even though the conversation was short, it was comforting to me that she cared enough to hop right on the phone to see how I was. And my best friend showed up at my house with a tall thermos of Carmel Coffee and we spent the afternoon, and some of the evening, around my kitchen table just talking about life.

I decided to not start looking for a job until after Thanksgiving. Taking the time to let it sink in, form a game plan, enjoy the holiday, food, and friends, and spend some quality time with my brother, Oliver, who was home from college for a few days. 

We went to The Muppet Movie the night it came out with a couple of our friends, we let our little brother tag along too, and BTW...it's hilarious. Go see it.

Yesterday I went over to a friends house and arranged a resume (this was actually fun!) and I realized that I love words....and that I had done much more with my talents than I had thought.

I also found out yesterday that one of my dear friends lost her job, too, so I called her up and we talked for a while. Our circumstances seem to parallel each other and I joke that this way it's easier for us to relate to one another. 

So, for now I'm trying to keep my head up, 'keep the dream alive', keep calm and carry on (as my British ancestors would say)...and all that. Giving up is not my name. My name is Industrious. My name is Diligence. My name is Perseverance. My name is Emily, and I'll be your stylist today. 

Look out world. Look out artsy industries. Here I come....again....

We like, we like to party....

Last Wednesday my best friend turned 20. That's right, we've reached the year where crossing the invisible "I'm a Legal Adult" line is far behind us and now...we're just getting old ;) HA!

To celebrate Bella and I ran around a rather amazing and spectacular thrift store called Savers, and later ventured into the mall and F21. What did we do there? Well, we bought clothes (or in my case, purple polka-dotted pillow cases), but really we were there to play one of our favorite games....FINDTHEUGLIESTPIECESOFCLOTHINGANDWEARTHEMALLATTHESAMETIME! It's a fabulous game and Bella and I are the winners. Always.

"Dear stirrup pants,

PLEASE go back to the 90's where you belong. Our feet, no matter how unruly, do not enjoy being strapped to our pants.

Sincerely,

Emily and Bella

Concerned citizens and fashion police.... ;)

What can I say? I've always wanted to be an awkwardly bald, pepto-bismal-pink mannequin...
no, really!

Here are some of our beautiful outfits.

This poncho was so large and boxy....I think you're jealous.

Oh look! It's a double rainbow! I just might cry!

She's so pretty in pink! Just waiting for her some guy to pick her up in his pink tux so they can go to their prom...in the 80's.

don't you just love the neck line?

I have no words.

I do actually think that we lost at this one. Despite the homeschool-stereotype fabric pattern, the colors and the dress are actually pretty cute on her.

Happy Birthday Bella!

hairbrained ideas

On Saturday I got to do what I love best, dress hair. My bestest best friend of mine hasn't had a haircut since August. She loves growing it all out and then cutting it dramatically. I don't know how she does it, I personally can't go for a such a long period of time without doing something to my hair(as it is I have managed not to cut it for a good 3 months...I am going crazy!).

She emailed me a few days earlier with various pictures and sketches of what she was thinking.

I was excited. I love it when people come to me wanting dramatic change! It makes me happy.

This is her prior to it all. Look at ALL THAT HAIR! (I have to admit I am jealous of her. Her hair seems to grow so fast...mine doesn't...)

Shampood and ready to go. I have to say the worst part of doing this at my house is making my friends lean over my kitchen sink...but I hope to change that soon.

Here we go!

Look at that!

That thing that she is holding in her hand is a neck duster, you may have seen them in old movies, or barber shops. It is fun to play with :)

"Let's make a wig, and name it Marv!" - Bella

Yes, we probably could have made a wiglet with the amount of hair I cut off.

The new style. Lotsa lotsa layers.

The end product. Resulting of much razoring and point cutting... *says in best aussie accent* "Isn't she a beauty?"

After about 15 years of pondering bangs she finally decided to go ahead and take the plunge. She hadn't had bangs since she was in first grade, and they were your customary straight across fringe.

"These are not your 1st grade bangs." I promised her.

let the festivities begin! - Part one

Elissa Sundet - Self Portrait - Painting
I found a photograph of this on another floor and kind of laughed when I found the fountain itself. I took a picture on my iPhone and showed it to my dad, "YOU"RE AN ARTIST!" he said ;)

Antonio Campelli - Self Portrait - Painting

Elissa Sundet - Painting

This one appears small in the photo, but in reality it probably was the same length as both my arms, fingertip to fingertip. The picture does not do it justice.

Eye make up that Bella and I played with :)

I sit here writing to you as a freshly graduated cosmetology student. Last Friday, December 17, 2010 I clocked out for the last time at 12:30. It was most certainly a bittersweet day for me. Leaving the school wasn't too bad, but leaving the people - my fellow students and teachers - I came close to shedding a few tears, but I was scolded by the woman who had done my make up that I wasn't allowed to cry until after I had taken it off. It's hard to believe that my year of education is over already! It seemed to drag sometimes, but as I look back on it I just can't believe how fast it went by.

I had a job interview right after school so I hopped in the car with my parents and headed off to Gugliotti's Salon and Spa in Rocky hill. This was the second time I had applied and interviewed with them and I wasn't sure what to expect. One of my classmates was sure that I would get the job saying, "Isn't it just perfect? You finished school and got a job on the same day!" I told her not to say that because I didn't get the job yet. My first interview was around 30 minutes so we figured I could be dropped off and my parents would be able to go do some shopping or something. They were very surprised when I called them 10-15 minutes later with excellent news. When I stepped into the office the first thing that the woman asked me was, "Did Carmelo talk to you today?" I was puzzled...

She then proceeded to tell me that they normally higher people who are still in school just because you start as a receptionist and that gives the employee some time to acclimate to the salon, but if I was willing to be a receptionist even though I was done with school, for the time being, they would love to have me. The job was mine, if I wanted it...which I did ;) I go in sometime this week to talk over details and such.

After the "interview" I was treated to a tasty lunch at Wood 'n Tap. Thanks mom and dad!

My best friend was waiting for me when I got home, ready to jump on me and make me a "cosmetologist pancake". We then proceeded to have coffee and play with make-up - because that's what we do :)

That night I went to the MCC art show where a few friends of mine had some of their pieces on display and I was in total awe at the artistry that came from their hands. Particularly the self portraits of my friends Elissa and Tony that they did for their painting class.

Soon after I got home, one of our friends showed up for a hair appointment. I went to sleep that night quite happy with my situation, and glad that I wouldn't have to wake up at 6:45 for school the next morning. I would, however, still have to get up and do hair and makeup for a photo shoot, vintage style....

what do you do with a drunken sailor?

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot, Drink up me 'earties, yo ho.

As all of you should know, yesterday - September 19 - was National Talk Like A Pirate day. One of my most favoritest days of the whole year...arrrrgh!

My interest in piracy began at a young age. I had a love for swords, the ocean, worn out clothes, adventures, hammocks, and floppy hats, not to mention root beer.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

The first time I met Bella, I didn't realize she was a pirate like me. It was upon our reunion that we discovered that one similarity. We had a plan. Live on a boat, find us a couple buccaneers and have us a double wedding on my tennis court...

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We kindle and char, inflame and ignite, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. We burn up the city, we're really a fright, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

...we still have yet to find ourselves some pirate menfolk...

We're rascals, scoundrels, villains, and knaves, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. We're devils and black sheep, really bad eggs, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

Well, we did find some pirate menfolk, many in fact, while the two of us were perambulating in our Pirate garb, at the CT Renaissance fair...but they were...really bad eggs...

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We're beggars and blighters, ne'er-do-well cads, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho. Aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads, Drink up, me 'earties, yo ho.

Favorite Movies and Books:
Pirates of the Carribean..ALL. THREE.
Treasure Island - with the muppets :)
Peter Pan...
and The Goonies, cause that's a classic.

I wanted to share a couple of my favorite children's books with you as well.Pirate Girl, By Cornelia Funke , cracks me up every time. It's about this awesome girl named Molly, who get's captured by unsuspecting pirates, and is saved by the notorious Barberous Bertha.

And there's this one, about a wee lad who helps blundering pirates who are not very good at map reading skills, and how he runs away with them to live a pirate's life...
...because, you want to celebrate piracy, and I know you do, you need to be able to talk like one, savvy?

http://www.piratetreasure.org/pirate-phrases.htm

And I shall leave you with a wonderful poem on this wonderfl subject:

Captain Hook must remember

Not to scratch his toes.

Captain Hook must watch out

And never pick his nose.

Captain Hook must be gentle

When he shakes your hand.

Captain Hook must be careful

Openin' sardine cans

And playing tag and puring tea

And turnin' pages of his book.

Lots of folks I'm glad I aint -

But mostly Captain Hook!

Shel Silverstein.

country roads take me home...

My tool belt. Sad not to be filled with nails, carrying a hammer, and roofing knife, and worn on a roof.

Wednesday evening. Pizza Hut. Fairmont 2009

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfi3SSJPG9Y&feature=related












"Country roads, take me home to the place I belong, West Virginia! Mountain Momma, take me home, country roads."

Yuppers, it's that time of year again. Yesterday morning I got up at 5:00 in the am and escorted my dad and brother to the PCM parking lot where we met with the 50 other members of the group who were going on this annual missions trip to good ole' Fairmont West Virginia.


What makes this year different than the other 6? Well...





July 2004, a small group of people consisting of about 12-14 youths, arranged themselves into a circular shape on the front porch of the parsonage of PCM (when it was still on Spruce(?) st.) getting ready to head to Camp Mar-Mac. We were one of the smallest groups going to Fairmont, dwarfed by the size of Stony Point(a group who's gone down every year, the same week we have). I was 11, probably about 75-80ish lbs., and barely 5 ft. tall. I'd only been in the group for about five or so months, so I was relatively green to the group, and new to the idea of being away from my family for a whole week. I remember being homesick, I remember being exhausted. I remember waking up at 4:00 am on Wednesday morning and making biscuits, and thinking it was awesome to be up so early, and I remember sitting on the T.V. remote 5 out of 10 hrs of the trip there and never being able to live it down - even though everyone from that 'era' is no longer in the group. I came home the next Saturday having experienced something that would keep me going back again, and again.



July 2005, I went back, now categorized as a "repeat offender", this time not worried so much about home, or projects, or being a tiny squirt. This year, God was continuing a work in my heart he had stirred up last year. A servant's heart. I came home again, sad it was over and SO ready for next year.





July 2006, this was the year I had the pleasure of introducing my little bro, Oli, to the group. He came on the trip and I found that having a family member with me made a world of difference. Like having a small piece of home with you. :)





July 2007, I had the privilege of adding my dad to the Fairmont family, as well as my best friend Bella. At this point in time we had developed a core group of Fairmonteers who formed the backbone of the Youth Group itself. Our group had grown in age, experience, and numbers, now having a friendly rivalry with Stony Point, we had gotten used to sharing the "stomping grounds" with them.





July 2008, "The people from CONNECTICUT are coming!!!" we're back again, but to nowhere any of us were familiar with.

Enter camp Dayspring.

For years we had all been hearing Pastor Kenny and the other MTW leaders talk about this camp that, someday, would house all the MTW Fairmont staff and teams, instead of Mar-Mac, the 4-H camp we had been staying at for the past four years. Now, it was finally time for us all to "move in", or so to speak. God had blessed us with a new campsite, and leaders who wanted to give the teams a camp to call their own.


We had also been blessed with keeping the same "stomping grounds" as far as work sites were concerned. We were holding a VBS in the same church now as when we first came five years earlier. Our relationships with these kids, as well as the home owners, weren't just growing anymore, they were beginning to blossom. The relationships we had with each other as a group had grown stronger as well, each year seeming more like a family.


On our drive home, the car driving in front of us ran over a freshly hit dear, splattering the contents of its stomach across our windshield and bringing an aweful stench in through our air vents. That was when I broke out the remainder of the Febreze I had brought with me and all was well...short of gagging till our abs hurt.





July 2009, 5:45 am, the driver's and their vans meet in the parking lot. 15 minutes later the group starts to arrive. Bella appears, somehow awake and alive after arrivng home, back in the U.S.A, after a mission trip to Costa Rica with Merge, her church's youth group, just a couple hours earlier. We travel to Fairmont, this time as high school graduates. In an awkward place of leadership, not a youth, not an 'adult', but given specific jobs and heavier responsibilities.





This year was the most emotionally draining out of all my adventures to this wild, and wonderful state. I don't know if 2009 was filled with more drama than before, or if I was simply just more aware of it this time. As always, there was the newbie drama, rumor drama, project drama...the usual...yet somehow amplified. At one point in the week a kitten, that was hanging around one of the work sites, was found behind the kitchen, smuggled by a group of girls who seemed to think the poor thing was being malnourished, and homeless.


Some really good relationships became stressed to the breaking point( a 3-is-very-crowded sort of thing), and friendships questioned as something more...


Of course living in a cabin full of girls on all different levels of emotional soundness was drama in and of itself, but that is all part of the experience.


But of all the memories I have with me from this trip, I wouldn't choose to get rid of any of them. Waking up to John Linville playing the bugle, and Sherry singing the 'good morning' song at 6:15, standing in line to shake Kenny's hand on your way to breakfast, eating mysterious, squishy objects they tell you are sandwiches ("Today we have: Peanut Butter, and ... MEAT!"),


playing ultimate frisbee in a field of mud, making a quick exit off of roofs in the middle of thunderstorms, worshipping in a tent with 200 other believers being lead by a man with an acoustic guitar and a heart for God - perhaps accompanied by a dude on the bongos - debrief meetings filled with group and individual highs and lows, and finally falling asleep, curled up in a sleeping bag, with notes from a friends guitar drifting through the air as the guys squeeze in a last song on the porch across the way before being ushered to bed themselves by John Linville playing taps on his bugle. (and of course a cabin corner smelling strongly of Febreze...after last year's incident, you really expect me to not bring any?)





July 2010, I wake up at 5:00 along with my dad and brother. I drive separately with my little sister in our Carola's back seat, following my dad and brother (in our van), into the PCM parking lot. A few minutes later, Oli rushed for the back seat of another van with the rest of his friends and passengers. I ran after him, shocked that he didn't say goodbye. His van left early, and the rest of us cirlced up for a quick prayer for our team's travels.


"Amen."


Everyone rushed to their assigned cars. I rushed after my dad, yelling the same things I did at Oliver. "Aren't you going to say goodbye?" They all must've been to caught up and excited... I got a hug and kiss from my daddy, then he ran to the van. In less than a minute the Fairmont caravan was loaded up and peeling out of the parking lot.


I stood there a moment later with two other families who had seen their kids off. Two of these people were friends of mine who had gone previous years and stayed behind this time.





"So this is what everyone does once we've left the lot..." I murmured. They all chuckled in response. We all lingered a few more minutes, but soon I had to leave. School, the reason I wasn't en route to West Virginia that very moment, was waiting. It finally set in. I wasn't going to fairmont this year. At least I have Bella - who didn't get back from Costa Rica until Sunday early a.m. - and Louise.





Some how, I will cope this week. Though my body remains here, in the state of Connecticut, my mind will be wandering the mountains and valleys of WVa. with my team, my friends...my family. Part of me...isn't here, but it gets back Saturday...


So, I'm not going this year. But there is a reason. God has a plan, and a purpose. Always. I believe this week He is going to use me for something here, at home. I believe this week He will do great thing, accomplish much, and bring glory to His name in Fairmont, through the servants He chose to send on this mission.

But from where I'm standing, I'll be counting down the days till Fairmont...2011. (That's right baby ;) There is NO WAY I'm putting myself through this misery next year...God willing.)

The Adventures of Emikel and J-ro (and Oli)

Circa. Sept. 28, '09

Cape Cod! Many memories here. On our most recent Fall retreat with SNAC someone remarked to me that any pictures I take with my brother are mostly awkward looking. So what did we do? We deliberately made an awkward pose.

And of course Bella jumped in. Why not? So this is our awkward family portrait...just one of many :)

the adventures of Emikel and Jro

Prepare yourselves....

ready?

...

ok

...

Wednesday afternoon. Pizza Hut. Fairmont, West Virginia. Mountain Dew. Cameras.

Need I say more?

Adventures of Emikel and Jro

Last year our many siblings took classes at the Mystic Aquarium, giving us two choices:

1. Stay home and be bored(for what seemed like a whole entire day) and maybe do something productive...or
2. Go to mystic and hang out together, exploring the 'Olde Mystic Village' and drink Starbucks.

Needless to say since our first favorite thing is each other, and our second favorite thing is COFFEE(particularly, but not pertaining to Starbucks) the answer was obvious.

On one of our adventures to this fishy establishment we came upon an Irish goods store. Of course we had to check it out(Bella is Irish. Perhaps not by blood or heritage, but by choice and desire ;) The shop wasn't anything amazing really. There were mugs with classic Irish names on them, Guinness posters and Claddagh rings. But as we were walking by the counter we chanced upon the candy selection. CRUNCHIES!

Crunchies are an Irish candy made of honey comb dipped in chocolate. Pretty much the tastiest thing you will ever eat. Until then we had thought they only sold them in Ireland, we were pleasantly proved wrong.

This is yet another picture of me and Bella...as you may have noticed I am wearing a ball gown and she is wearing...a tutu. Yes, you also have seen this tutu before(if you were aspiring enough to go through those gazillion pics of dance stuff I posted a few weeks ago). This is not only my favorite tutu, no! This is also Bella's wedding dress! You are jealous, I know. I'm even jealous and I own the tutu ;)

"Moses supposes his toeses are roses. But Moses supposes erroneously..."

Who needs a nose job when you've got one of these?Late Fall time(maybe) 2008 I think. We were doing Nose Night. Previously our YG had done, Cheese Night, Potato Night, Banana Madness Night, even a Dental Hygiene Night, but never had we ever ventured into the realms of "Facial Appendage" night... Well, we did, and we pulled it off. (You can't tell, but there are small silver rings in the noses we're wearing.)

more emily and bella

Bella and I do alot of stuff together. One of those things has been an annual summer missions trip to the wild and wonderful state of West Virginia with our youth group. This pic I believe was taken Friday afternoon at lunch. we're tired(understatement). we're hungry(but not for peanut butter and meat). and just want to go take a snooze(something neither of us do often). so we did :) and then continued working until it was time to pack up for the year and go back to camp and pack some more. I don't know if we'll make it there this year, what with her missions to another country and my school not having any vacation time. But we have memories from these trips to cherish and trump with whatever it is that we do for the rest of our lives.

My Best Friend

I have been extremely fortunate to have been blessed with a "Best Friend". Although by now we've taken it so that 'best' doesn't really cover it. It's like Calvin and Hobbes meets Frodo and Sam meets David and Jonathan :)

Bella and I met forever ago in a pottery class. After that we would play with each other a couple of times, her house, my house, the park. I don't remember much, but I do remember that we'd put a bucket on Oli's head and call him "bucket boy", and she remembers the cliff in my backyard.

Something happened and we 'lost' each other, for whatever reason we stopped hanging out. The years would go by and I would sometimes remember 'that girl' who was named Bella, who talked with a slight accent, even though her parents didn't, and who put buckets on my brother's head. I don't know how many years it was until I started S.N.A.C (Saturday Night At Church - my youth group for the next 6 years), but it was long enough for me to somewhat forget that girl.

I jumped into SNAC mid January of my seventh grade year. I was the shortest, slightest, and youngest kid there, and was a little intimidated by this large (at that time large was probably about 10-15 kids) group who were constantly smiling, and talking, and laughing, and who met in the attic of a parsonage with a string of chili pepper lights strung on the beams. I knew some of the kids from Covenant Academy, a private school I attended in fourth and fifth grade, and got along well with them. That summer Sherry, the youth leader, asked for teen helpers at VBS which the church would be running. I was at an odd stage of in-between. I could be IN VBS for a last year, or I could be a teen helper. I did both :) The first couple of days I was a kid in the VBS, and that's when I ran into someone I knew!!!

BELLA! She was there. In that classroom. I couldn't tell if she remembered me or not...but that was ok. After the first couple of days I was really loving my class. Mr. Scholten was our teacher, and he was awesome! He was always my favorite teacher. But looking around, and seeing my 'fellow youth' help out with games, or crafts was making me feel slightly left out. I emailed Sherry and asked if I could be a Teen Helper, she replied with a 'yes', and the next day I was put in the 'recreation group'. That was...ok. I think the older 'youth' felt a little annoyed and indignant at me just hopping in. Me, the really wee, young girl, who was only about 11 years old and barely 4'4''. That day didn't go as well for me as I had thought it would. The acceptance wasn't there. Sherry, or someone must've noticed cause when I arrived the next day I was reassigned to another class, with young children...who apparently would run down the street from time to time. She was confident that I would be able to control and relate to the kids...and I did! That made me happy, to know that I could do something that was a great help to the adults. But I digress.

Summer went by and I survived my first year as a Teen Helper, probably the youngest one they'd ever had, and (ir)regular YG meetings started up again. A couple weeks into it, a new girl walked in the door. Bella. For a while she kinda just stood in a bubble all to herself. I don't remember anyone ever really talking to her, or vice versa. I'm not sure how it happenned, but one day we must've talked or something, and obviously hit it off well, we 'found' each other again :D

Over the past five years or so we've done insane things and had soooo much fun, and documented just about everything with millions of pictures and video(which is probably why my computer runs so slowly and is about to crash ;). We even became the Teen Helpers who LEAD and were in charge of the games at VBS or Kid's Club, and were the noise and life of the party at YG. We were, and are, the dynamic duo, complementing each other with our personality differences and our love of living life crazily!

So, thank you God for the awesomeness that is my bestest friend.

Oh yeah, make sure to check out her web site. She custom designs and makes just about everything accessory. Hats, bags, fingerless gloves, checkbook covers, you name it. And her bags are FANTASTIC! check it out!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=8276110

She has some more pictures of what she can do and has done on her blog: http://www.mynameisnotking.blogspot.com, they really are excellent.