Camp out

 Helix YSA had a ward camp out. It was awesome beyond words. I would love to do it again. It was quite a struggle to get to it. There were some hurt feelings, and lots of chiefs and not enough indians at some points. But it worked out in the end. And thankfully it did. We went camping up in the Laguna's. It was SO gorgeous!!! We were going from 100 degree weather to a cool 75. I was super cold the whole time and coming back down the mountain was the saddest moment I ever experienced. Going from gorgeous skies, the smell of nature, cuddling with friends, eating s'mores and woofums, talking to strangers, running around out of breath... to the heat and the every day grind was a devastating blow to my sanity. It has even been a few weeks and I am still wanting to go back up and just lay under the stars. They were seriously gorgeous. It was as if we were emmersed in the milky way. The stars were so bright and there were so many of them that it felt like you could reach up and when you pulled your hand back down it would be covered in star dust. (Star dust has to be glitter... I am pretty sure science has proven that they are directly related.)
  We played a game that Sister Pann put together. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I am really glad because I hate for people to come to activities and not enjoy themselves. Of course there was like 3 people who refused to participate, but that always happens.

This group here (myself included.. kinda) was the LAMEanites. They were against the Nephites. (sadly they lost because of a wiley one named Rodney. It was great. They got to have face paint and run around stealing precious treasures, and killing people (by sticking stickers on them)  We had a ton of new converts, and new members, less active members, and investigators go. Pretty much everyone that went has been coming steadily since then. It is so awesome how that plays out.
  Since then, I have become increasingly upset with the Regional YSA activities committee for San Diego. Seriously, they are fighting between themselves, and have gone so far over budget with their sub par activities that it amazes me that there are any activities. I am hardcore praying that a change will be made. And one for the greater good. If not then I just need to find some poor soul to marry and get the heck out of the YSA. :) But we all know that that won't happen until its time.. but until then I will suffer... silently?


OH well.

In other news: I love my photo class, but i hate the project we are currently doing. It is murderous. I don't even know where to begin with it. (well technically I have already begun.. but I need to finish and i need someone to help and that is being hard to find.)

Oh and I am doing pretty well in my teaching techniques class (aka i have a 101.75 % in it)
Euro. Humanities.. well.. the exam is next week and I am dreading it.
Intro Kinseiology... I cant stand the teacher shes insane. Seriously insane.
Choir... Obviously an A so far. I have to sing a solo for one of the songs and its so far from being a style i can stand. Oh well. whats a girl to do if she wants solo's in the future

well time for bed. :)

have a great day/night You are star
-cambria

Never Ending Changes

   So many changes in the past few months. It feels like time is flying. Or is a runaway train about to crash. (pretty sure the latter but I'll rock it until then.)

  Where to begin...  after unintentionally putting it off (and a tad big of intentional putting it off) I finally got my high school diploma. I know, its appalling. But the quick story is I took my final semester of my senior year off to take care of my dad who was dying, and my mom who was in and out of the hospital. (yeah it was 2008, she hadn't had her osteoporosis diagnosed, or her blood condition that gave her a very low blood count which accounted for the fatigue and the fact that she would lose hours out of her day.) 

 Back to focusing.. Ummm Yes so Diploma... so now I am over at Grossmont College going to school for the first time in 4 years. It is a daunting thought that I am finally moving on with my life and as much as I struggled in the past 4 years I have felt like I haven't progressed in ways that I should have. I have seen the growth in my friends but I can't seem to grasp the growth that I have made. I know its there, but sometimes its hard to realize the change. 

 So its off to become a "griffin" while I work my way to becoming an Ortho Tech. This first semester is going to suck. I haven't been on a strict schedule in forever. So it is an adjustment that I am dreading making. But a girls gotta adapt to survive.  Besides, if it gets me to the career I want to do? Why not put in the effort to get to where I want to be? Yeah, I am trying to convince myself with every word. But that's okay.   

   The past week, lots has happened. I went to a progressive dinner party for my friends 25th birthday. Now she is one of those girls I love because she loves to have a good time, and that means getting to do new and exciting things. Things that I enjoy like Murder Mystery parties. And going out to new places. So her mother did a fox and hound type party that was melded with a progressive dinner. We started off at Balboa. We did a scavenger hunt and it was so bloody hot, but that's okay because the appetizers were so yummy. We ended up going off in pairs. Kelly and her Boyfriend, Tiffany and her boyfriend, Stacy and Mike (they may be dating.. not a hundred percent sure but they are cute so it was precious.) and me and Neil. (Now as much as this was a couple activity Neil and I had a good time just being partners, he is fresh off a mission and is far from being my type but he is sure fun to hang with.) So after balboa we ended up at this gorgeous park up on Mount Soledad for dinner. It was followed by dessert at the Melting Pot. And to end the night a dance on the "Bahia Belle" which turned out to be a booze cruise. But was a great booze cruise. A bunch of Lds people dancing with a whole group of people that were obviously a little tipsy. It was Grade-A awesome. The group of people that was involved made the night memorable and I am so happy I have friends like Kelly who like to do new things because I don't think any of my other friends would be interested in that kind of night.

  Also this week Elder Jacob Collings came home from his mission in Ghana. He has changed so much! He has dropped a whole bunch of weight, his hair is short, and on top of all of that, he just glows. It is awesome to see how a mission changes a person. At the begining of this week he is headed off to the Bubble (provo) for school at BYU. He is just jumping back into things. But with him coming back it means more of my friends are headed home from their missions which means I get my friends back!! Woo.

Lots has happened that I can't even begin to write about because I would be sitting here typing for days on end just to get it all in. But lots will be happening. Not only will more people be returning from their missions but I am planning a ward camping trip, school is starting, Disneyland is back to happening every month, and I am finally enjoying being single again so time to enjoy my friends and flirt it up with anything that walks ;)

Love you

-Cambria

Catch Up

Lots has happened since I last posted. To start I have a new kitten. Her name is kinda going back and forth, I sometimes call her Smitten, others call her anything from Anne Frank, to Hitler... or Blanch. She is adorable as all get out. She is craaaazy spastic and hiliarious. I am pretty sure she is perfect and I wouldn't settle for anything less than that.
 She wakes me up every morning at 7:30am and keeps me up until 1 or 2 in the morning but because of this I am taking the early mornings to go for a walk/jog. Trying to get in shape to run a 5K by the end of this year. Or early next year, and not just any regular 5k. I want to run a themed one. There are soooo many fun themed 5k's like the Zombie Run, ColorRun, Rock n Roll Marathon, Mudrun, or Mayhem Run. Most of them have obstacle courses too so I really want to be in a better shape to do all of them and not sit any out. Considering most of the ones I want to do involve climbing walls, I have quite a ways to go. On top of running I am doing Yoga again!! I kinda slacked off when I had the stitches. Everything was a pain to do with them in.  Anyway, I need to get back to cleaning, having a movie night tomorrow and some people that are coming are allergic to kitties so you know... got to clean... lots of cleaning.

Stitches and Stomach Flu

Well, this past couple of weeks has been pretty intense. Starting with my hand through a window. Not it wasn't intentional! But, it happened. It was a pretty deep cut, and was pretty long. It surprised not only every person that I came in contact with that I was in such a good mood but that I also had no pain. But I can attest that it now hurts like the dickens. More or less it feels like I am having an allergic reaction to the stitches. But they should be out within a few days. (I should probably find someone to take them out for me.)
But stitches I can live with. In fact, Stitches are low on the scale of things that annoy me. However, THE STOMACH FLU, is top of the list!! Seriously, it is the worst thing to have ever happened to me. Just thinking about it makes me feel gross. I am still recovering from it. I don't think I will ever shrug off my friends complaints when they get the stomach flu ever again. I seriously thought I was dying.

It started out with a fever, and just all around discomfort. Then out of no where I was debating with myself if I should ralph or not. Well after making someone clean the bathroom and pouring mouth wash in the toilet. I gave in. Throwing up is also one of the things that is low on the scale of things that annoy me. (This is quite a long list which includes: clowns, bee's, smokers, people that try and get you to sign their stupid petitions, invisible children [stupid bandwagon], animals in general [minus elephants], traffic, parking lots, the price of film, etc.) After throwing up I was not done being sick. But because I am a girl, I will just say, I found a way to be sick that was completely outrageous in my book.

Thankfully it has stopped. Now all that is plaguing me is a fear of windows, and sick children. I caught the flu from the babies I was babysitting. They had no control over it, but I am going to assume when they both threw up on me out of no where was the beginning of my sickness. So 48 hours later, I am feel better. And I am just mildly dehydrated. But as long as I'm not being sick I am happy as a clam.

Oh on a happier note!! I got film for my Diana F+. My only issue is that FILM IS SO EXPENSIVE!! Seriously nearly 3 dollars for a single roll. PLUS its only 24 shots! Maybe its the digi in my but not being able to see the photos, having limited photos, and the cost may be too much for my little heart to handle! But this is a process that I will learn to love. I will change my dependence on being able to see the photos before they are processed, and being able to speed through photos like its no biggie. So as soon as my first roll is developed I will be posting them. The first one is a mirror photo of me ( I may not post it..... hahah ) And then theres a picture of my sister with a fisheye lense, a picture of my mother with fisheye lense, and a double exposed and split photo of my mom. both are with her dogs, different dog in each photo. I kinda think I am over advancing my film. But this is a trial roll so whatever I get I get.
Okay well time to head to bed before daylight savings. Goodnight

-Cambria

Ps. Hope yall dont get the flu

DIANA!!!!!

YEaaaaah buddy! I may have heard from a very small bird, that I am IN FACT getting the Diana Camera (and kit) in celebration of my day of birth. Yeah thats right! Suckkas. Lomography FTW! haha I am super jazzed.

I have always had a love for photography and I feel like this is going to take it to a totally different stage. It will definitely take some getting used to, somehow I can't imagine not being able to take a photo and not see it instantly. I remember being a kid in like 4th grade and using disposable cameras. And now its so odd to think that I was okay with not knowing what the picture turned out to look like. Then again I had some mad skill back then.

Well, off to count the days until I get my camera. I think I am being forced to wait until my birthday.. sooo 21 days until the 20th......

-cambria

Pinterest and my obsession.

Well, this last week has been full of changes. Mostly because of Pinterest. (I AM SOOOO ADDICTED.) The only thing wrong with Pinterest is that there is a no, Project completed button. (And for that matter a place to put up a photo or 2 of the completed happiness ;) ) So My blog will be where it is posted.


So, my most recent pinterest experiments. The first was a tutorial on Bokeh photography. Which is an art of photography where you are essentially out of focus, and you put a cover over your camera lens which has a cut out of a shape that you want to be shown. I chose to do a heart. (the tutorial basically was a picture showing you what your cover should look like and the difference between the before and after.) I didn't have a hole puncher and to be honest I didn't quite understand how to do it.
So instead of googling it, I attempted to do it similar to how the pictures in the tutorial showed how to do it. Luckily when I was messing around with it, I figured it out. I will say it is in no way my kind of "art". I will be sticking to taking photos of my friends (and random people.) It was fun to try, and maybe if I get bored I will try and do it again.

My next Project was the Soda Can Cupcakes. OH MY GOODNESS!!! BEST tutorial, recipe, idea, EVER invented! So yummy!!!! I had originally planned to make funfetti cupcakes with Cherry 7-up. Well, much to my surprise SOMEONE had taken and used the last of my stock piled funfetti mix. (Yes, I stockpile funfetti mix... it's just so yummy.) So the instructions are : take cake mix, add soda. Bake. and enjoy. So Simple, so perfect, so me. I ended up using white cake. (not a bad idea, was a great idea for a first try.) I used from the can whipped white icing. I don't have fancy pipping bags. But from many years of girl scout camping and making womp'ems, I just put the icing in a bag and cut the tip of the bag and used it that way.[For those of you who don't know what womp'ems are you need to experience the bliss of taking biscuits and putting it on a stick over a campfire, then filling it with pudding and jellies and any other yummy food that comes to your hearts desire.]
The way I frosted it looked kind of like a rose. Which I loved. When I took them to church, everyone wanted one. (Cupcakes never survive church) Everyone really enjoyed them (from what I heard, and some people got really offended that I didn't have enough to feed every single person that was at church. (More than one person made a comment on how it wasn't fair that they didn't get a cupcake. But I guess I am being kinda snobby about it. Then again, I did only have 12 cupcakes. 9 of which were going to certain people.)

Okay and the FINAL project for today: Rag Curls. (picture above on the right hand side.)

This is a way of doing hair that I have done quite a few times in my life. Each time usually inspired by Shirley Temple. (She is amazing.)
The picture that I saw for it didn't look quite like a full rag curl to me, but I ended up doing full rag curls. I enjoyed it regardless. And am dying to try out new hairstyles. (None of which are going to include CUTTING my hair, maybe dying, but definitely no cutting!)

Well, Hopefully I can have some more projects completed soon enough. For sure I will post when I do my Superhero vs. Villain party. (Which will be the best.)

My friends are crazies.

Last night was probably the most odd night I have had in quite some time. Sarah and Virginia came over and we spent the night making ninja sugar cookies, texting a friend, and watching Popper's Penguins. (Which is the best movie ever... especially when you are on a sugar high.) So besides sliding back into a friendship that has been mildly distant for one reason or another, it was like all my friends had never gone their separate ways.
I had heard once that about every 7 years your friends are completely different. And that its a rarity to keep the same friends for 7 years. I never used to think that was true until I looked back and thought about it. I have a few people that I would call friends that have been around 7 years or more. However, at one point or another we stopped all contact or had a fight or something had happened.
I have always been a hater of that thing people like to call "change". It could be good change and I still wouldn't enjoy it. I don't like people leaving, getting married, moving away, changing who they hang out with... I just don't enjoy it. So when I experience change I sometimes freak out. Sometimes it isn't so bad. But mostly I get all moody and act like a child. I scrapbook and journal because at least in my memories it will always be the same. Saving memories has become so important for me. (Walmart photo will always be in business because I will always have new photos to print out, digital files have a shorter shelf life when compared to physical photographs.)
I have a scrapbook which has been recording the years I have spent in the YSA ward. It was the best idea I have ever had. When I look back I see that I hung out with certain people more often than others during different times of the year. And in those photo's I have no resentment for them moving on with their lives, or changing. But in person its a totally different story. So when I hung out with my friends last night it was odd to feel like nothing had changed.
It's 2012 and I will be 22 years old in March, and I have decided what my new year resolution/goal will be. (Yes I know its a week into the year... sue me ;) ) I will attempt (No guarantees) to accept change this year. I will move on from the angst I have and the regret I have. I will attempt to forgive people who have hurt me, and forget those who have been repeat offenders. I will express my love for my friends in ways that will blow their minds, and make sure they know how much I really appreciate them.


Hopefully that made sense. I got to get back to my sewing. (going to be making a makeup bag because mine apparently is too small.)

Love Always,
Cambria Lee

Crafts galore

Lately I have been in a crafting mood. I decided what my birthday party theme was going to be 3 months in advance so that I could do lots of DIY projects. I am becoming obsessed! My theme is going to be superheros. And so that means making Masks and capes! Which is super fun. I'm not going to lie, the eye holes on my masks aren't even, and the sewing is a tad messy. (my sewing machine is on its final legs and reaching the sad sad death that it has been looking forward to since we met) But they are turning out pretty awesome. Each one is different and mildly unique. I am pretty jazzed with how they are coming out.
Besides of the masks I made a banner which was going to be in bright superhero like colors (Red, Green, Yellow, Blue...) but they ended up more circus (purple, pink, blue, yellow.) I may attempt to do another banner for the party when it gets closer, and when I have the time to search out material that would make a lovely banner for a boy... (one that I can give away) but right now I am making a dress that is supposed to take about 30 minutes to make. I did my first cut of the material and its just a few minutes before 4. If I have this done by 5 then I will agree it is an easy project that takes minimal skill and less time then a normal project will take. (I say 5 because I have the a.d.d of a 7 year old boy that was given Candy. I in no way can focus. Though I do want to wear my dress tonight. Its going to be purple on the bottom and white on the top. Well.. time for me to focus. Besides I ended up going up to Walmart and buying a $80 brother sewing machine. (I am pretty sure it screamed my name from the moment I walked in the store. It knew I needed something that was pretty much put together and cheap. But I can't for the life of me figure out how to gather on the new machine so its off to old trusty and sew up the gather. YAY for being domestic!!

I am pretty sure if there is a DIY project that takes minimal skill and supplies I will be trying it this year.

Maybe I will even make my Christmas presents instead of spending oodles of money on useless crap.. when I can MAKE useless crap!!

-Cambria