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Sunday, August 29, 2010

Hooray!

 A tag! Amanda tagged me!

1.What's your least favorite food in the world? Oooh... this is hard! Hmm... maybe... brussel sprouts?
2. Have you ever won a blog giveaway? Yes. :D
3. If the answer to question 2 is yes, then what did you win? I won a potholder and some dishrags. :D And I put them in my hope chest.
4. Cork board, or dry erase? I think cork board.
5. Favorite gift ever? Who was it from? My American Girl doll Felicity. I've had her for about... seven or eight years. My parents gave her to me for Christmas.
6. What was the last book you read? (Other then school books) A book called Master Cornhill. It's about the great fire of London.
7. Snail mail, or email? Well, snail mail is slower, but I still think I like it best. Like I said, I LOVE getting mail!
8. Who is your role model? My mother. She is the best lady EVER!

Now, I tag:

Ashley Jean
Victoria
Anne
Mattie
Hannah
Erin
Samantha
Abigail

And anyone who wants to can take this tag. :D There's only a small $20 fee... just kidding.

Here are my eight questions to all of you who are taking this tag:
1. Chocolate or vanilla?
2.What is the ugliest animal you've ever seen?
3. What is the weirdest color you would ever want to dye your hair?
4. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
5. Do you have a hope chest? If so, what do you keep in it?
(optional question: If you don't have a hope chest, do you want one?)
6. What is your favorite thing to take pictures of?
7. Who is the cutest baby you ever saw?
8. Do you like to babysit?

Happy tagging!

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Saturday, August 28, 2010

4 things tag

 Leah tagged me!

4 things found in my school bag: 
I'm home schooled, so I'll just skip this one.

4 things found in my purse:
Well, I only have 2 things in my purse:
1. My wallet
2. A small mirror

4 things in my room:
1. My bed
2. A desk
3. A couple of necklaces
4. A few stuffed animals and dolls

4 things I’m currently in to:
1. Reading (I'm always in to this, though)
2.Crafting
3. Blogging
4. Writing

4 things I bet you didn’t know about me:  
1. I LOVE to get mail! It is the greatest thing since sliced bread. :D
2. I do not like to eat breakfast. I don't know why, I just don't like it.
3. My mother has the most, number one, greatest, most delicious recipe for chicken casserole EVER. I mean in the whole wide world. It is good.
4. I have had three pet crickets. The first two I got at the pet store, and the third was wild.

Well, I know a lot of you have done this already, so I'll just tag anyone who hasn't done this, or wants to do it again. :D

Hope you enjoyed!

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Here are the answers!

Okay, here are the answers!

#1. A tissue
#2. A doorknob
#3. Piano keys
#4. A light switch

Good job! I think the doorknob was the hardest. :D

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Friday, August 20, 2010

What are these?

Can you guess what these four pictures are? I'll post the answers on Tuesday. :D



Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Guin's Blog Party!

 Guin is having a blog party! To view it, click here.


1. What has been your favorite part of summer so far? Hmm... I'm not sure. Probably having more free time.
2. What is your favorite part of autumn? The leaves changing color.
3. Raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens? Whiskers on kittens, for sure!
4. Describe your dream house. A farmhouse, with five bedrooms and a bathroom for each. Plus a big kitchen and living room. I also want a red barn (all barns are red, right?) and lots of animals. But I'm a suburbian girl, so I'm not sure how I'd fit in. :D
5. What's your favorite movie? I like all of the Sherwood films.
6. Quote something from the book you most recently read: "Well, whatever they say, you don't feel like ghosts." -Trumpkin, from Prince Caspian
7. What do you like/not like about my blog? Well, I really love the way you write. :D
8. Rain or shine? That depends. How hot is it outside?
9. The worst grammatical mistake, in your opinion: I don't know! I don't like any grammatical mistakes...I'm a word perfectionist.
10. If you had a choice, would you want to live: in the mountains, in a rainforest, on a prairie, or by the beach? By the beach.
11. What character from a book would you say you are most like? That's a hard one... I'd say, maybe... either Jo March or Laura Ingalls Wilder.
12. Be constantly talking the rest of your life or not be able to communicate in any way for the rest of your life? AHHHHHHHHH!!!!! That's all I have to say.
13. Owl City or Switchfoot? I've never heard any of Owl City's music, so I'd have to say Switchfoot.
14. Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez? Umm... I don't know.
15. Your pet peeve? I hate dropping things, especially when I'm angry.
16. What's your favorite font? I like the font I'm using now.
17. How are you educated? (i.e. homeschooled, public schooled, private schooled) Home schooled, and proud of it!
18. Do you consider yourself tomboy-ish or feminine? Feminine.
19. What's your favorite song? None. I like lots of songs.
20. Did you enjoy answering these questions? Definitely. :D

This was so fun!

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

An Award!












Here's a sweet blog award from Anna. Thank you Anna!

I award:
Marelle
Rachel
Mattie

And for anyone I might have missed, I award you too!

By the way, I'm thinking about getting a blog makeover, so if you know anyone who does them for free, please tell me. Thanks!


Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Monday, August 16, 2010

Lavender Cookies (these are better than they sound!)
















I made these cookies on Saturday, and they were really good! Here's the recipe in case you want to try them yourself.


Lavender Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter or margarine, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs, well beaten

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. dried lavender buds

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cream the butter, sugar, and salt until light. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the flour using low speed just until the dough is starting to form. Sprinkle in the lavender fold in gently. Divide the dough into two rounded sections. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Placed one of the chilled dough sections on a floured surface. Roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin, taking care not to overwork it. Cut the dough into desired shapes and place them 1/2 inch apart on a ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes until just golden brown. Cool on rack.
















Yum!

Grace be with you,

Abby :D

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Dreamland...

This is a story I started a few weeks ago. It's supposed to be someone's dream, although my dreams aren't usually so fast-paced. Hope you enjoy!


I snuggled down into my comforter and tossed and turned. I could not go to sleep. Eighteen minutes passed, and I slowly drifted to sleep…and was awakened on a train with reporters surrounding me, all wearing name tags.

One named “Bill” addressed me. “And what is your final answer, Mr. President?” he asked. “Uhh…No comment,” I replied. “WRITE THAT DOWN!” Bill shouted. Then all the reporters scribbled violently on their notepads. “Banjo Ledge is planning on running for president next year,” one named “Annie” called, “what are you going to do to stop him?” I hesitated. “Okay,” I said, “I don’t think you understand. I’m not…”

The words were just leaving my mouth when suddenly I was at the zoo. I paid for my ticket and went in. They had all kinds of animals. I heard a voice behind me. It said, “How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” I spun around, and there was the biggest woodchuck I had ever seen. It was at least seven feet tall. “Well,” he demanded arrogantly, “how much?” But I never got to answer, because I was sucked up into a big purple hole...

…And I fell into a dark, deserted wood. I looked around and saw a girl lying on the ground. I poked her with my foot, and she squeaked, “NOOOOOOO!” and ran away. Some big brown pigs flew by, their shiny silver wings sparkling in the cold air. I climbed a tree, to try and find out where I was. As I climbed, the branches broke below me. The branch under me broke. I fell…

…And landed on the beach. It was perfect. A warm breeze was blowing, the sky was blue, and the water was calm. I jumped into the ocean and started to swim. Suddenly waves started coming. They were higher than my head. The sky turned purple with green stripes. The waves turned red. I frantically kicked my legs and tried to paddle back to shore, but the more I kicked, the farther away I got from shore. I rode the waves until I landed on the beach again. Everything became perfect once more. But I knew not to go back in the water.

In a flash, I was on a deserted looking island. I looked around not knowing what to expect. I heard a weird noise coming from one side of the island. I ran to the other side of the island and saw- a procession of ignorant pigosaurs! They were stomping, screaming, and stuffing raw potatoes into their mouths. I sauntered up to one of them and said slowly, “My name is Sherlock Holmes, can you tell me what is going on?” It looked at me with a very bewildered expression on its face and started to speak.

Then, just like that, I was transported to a busy highway. I decided that it would be a good idea to run into the road, full speed ahead! As I ran, all the cars turned into horses. The people on the horses pointed at me and yelled, “There he is! Billy the Kid!” They chased me into a western looking town, and I raced into a building, only to hear, “Cut! That was perfect!” I looked around and saw a man sitting in a director’s chair. “Whatever will we do when you leave, famous movie star?” He sighed with a wistful look. I looked oddly at him, and then I joined a line dance that was going on on the other side of the room. “CHA CHA CHA!” We all shouted. Then I went through a wall…

…to find, on the other side, thousands of pigs searching for food. They all stared at me, and then rushed forward, screaming, “Throw not your pearls before swine!” over and over. Sprouting wings, I jumped into the air, bumping my head on clouds. I landed on a rainbow and looked to my left. A raging battle was going on. I flew above it, grabbed a megaphone that was floating in the air, and bellowed, “STOP!!!!!!!!!!!” Instantly all of the people stopped fighting, turned around, and left. I was so proud of myself, I flew higher and higher, until I smacked into the sun. BOOM! The sun (and me) plummeted to the ground…

And I woke up.

The end

Abby :D

Friday, August 13, 2010

Grace's Story Contest!

I'm entering Grace's story contest.

Here is the painting that inspired my story:

The Necklace by John William Waterhouse





















 Treasures of the Heart by Abby

It was the day of my 16th birthday, 1992, and I woke up to the smell of cinnamon buns. I breathed in the smell as I got dressed. I ran downstairs right as my mother was taking the buns out of the oven. "Happy birthday, sweetie," she greeted me. "Thank you, Mother," I smiled and sat down at the big kitchen table. Then Father and Grandpa came stumbling sleepily down the stairs. As they seated themselves at the table, Mother put a bun on one of her best china plates and served it to me with a grin. "Wait 'til you see what your dad and grandpa have for you," she looked at Father. He went into the other room and brought back a small wooden box. "Oh..." I breathed, as he opened it to reveal a beautiful necklace. "It was your gramma's," said my grandpa tearfully as he fastened it around my neck. I smiled as I thanked him. My grandma died two years ago, and she had been one of my best friends. “I made the box,” said Father proudly, “Look, it even has a space in the bottom for your Bible!” I leaped from my seat and ran into my room to get my Bible. As I passed my vanity mirror, the necklace sparkled and I smiled once again. It was so hard not to smile on your birthday.

It was a week after my birthday, and I wore the necklace every day, keeping it in the box with my Bible when I was sleeping. That box held my two most treasured possessions. One morning, I woke up and got out of bed to read my Bible at my vanity. I opened the box, but my beautiful necklace wasn’t there! I raced from my room and found my mother in the kitchen. “Mother, Mother,” I cried, near tears, “my necklace is gone!” We searched my whole room, and when Father and Grandpa got up, the whole house. “It’s no use!” I sobbed, “It’s gone!” I took my box and ran from the house to my favorite spot in the woods, a small pond where I often read my Bible and prayed. I decided to read my Bible, for comfort. When I opened my box, and took my Bible out, there was the necklace, shining as brightly as ever! I held it up to the sun and laughed.

After reading my Bible that morning, I showed my family the necklace. “I should have known,” my mother said, “the only place we didn’t look!” I smiled once again, now knowing that even though I loved my necklace, my Bible was my real treasure.

The End

A Couple of Random Facts About Me ~a list~

A Couple of Random Facts About Me ~a list~
  1.  I have a bad habit of making comments through out a movie, especially during scary or romantic parts. If you like complete silence during a movie, don't watch one with me. 
  2. I absolutely LOVE spaghetti. That is why I love Italian Restaurants.
  3. My favorite birds are blue jays, cardinals, and American Goldfinches.
  4. My favorite color to wear is white.
  5. I like chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies equally. *gasp* 
                       {cookie picture from Wikipedia}

    The end of my story

     Here is the end of my Cinderella story. This was the first time I attempted writing a romance chapter, so I'm sorry if it's not very realistic. Enjoy!

    At the ball, the stepsisters were looking for the prince while Kelly’s carriage pulled up at the front of the castle. “Where is that prince?” Raisin said, standing on her tip-toes to look for him. She was the elder twin. “He should be here by now,” said Prune. She was the younger twin. Suddenly, Kelly stepped into the ballroom. “Who is that?” said Prune. “I don’t know,” said Raisin.
    The prince stepped out from the potted plant he was hiding behind. He had short blond hair and blue eyes. A new suit had been made for him by the court tailor. He started to walk toward Kelly.
    “There he is!” said Raisin. “Where?” asked Prune. Raisin pointed. Prune saw him. Kelly curtsied. The prince, or Robert, bowed. They started to dance. “That isn’t fair!” Raisin said, stamping her foot. “Yeah, I tried so hard to get him to dance with me. But there is nothing we can do, I guess,” said Prune, with a sigh.

    Meanwhile, Kelly was enjoying herself. “My name is Robert,” said the prince. “Mine is…oh, look at that beautiful flower! What is it called?” She looked inquisitively at him. “It is a carnation.” He smiled. “It is so beautiful,” said Kelly. “Let us go sit on the edge of that fountain,” said the prince, “we can talk there.”

    “It is 11:50!” said Kelly. “Yes,” said the prince, puzzled, “but let’s go inside. My mother and father will be looking for me. Maybe I could introduce you to them. What did you say your name was?” But Kelly was already rushing toward the door. By the time the surprised prince got to it, Kelly was lost in the crowd.

    Kelly ran as fast as she could. Suddenly one of the silk slippers flew off her foot. She mourned the loss of such a delicate slipper, and it fit so well, too. At least she had the other one. When she got home, her dress was in rags, but strangely the slipper was still pristine. Kelly decided to put it in her box of things that she would remember forever. As soon as she made dinner and set it on the table, her stepmother and siblings got home from the ball. “It was the strangest thing…a girl was at the ball…the prince liked her a lot…at 11:50…she ran out of the palace…the prince is still searching now,” Prune mumbled between bites of lasagna. “Really?” Kelly whispered, starry-eyed. “YEAH!” Raisin said loudly, not really paying attention. After dinner, Kelly tiptoed up to her room. “The prince is looking for me!” she thought. Suddenly, Andrew knocked on the door, and then slipped in. “The prince is here. He wants to see you.” He said. “Just me?” Kelly said, surprised. “No, he wants to see everyone.” She went with him where at least ten courtiers were standing, including the prince. “There she is!” said the prince. He rushed over to Kelly. “What is your name?” he asked. “K-kelly,” she managed. “Will you marry me, Kelly?” the prince asked. With everyone in the room staring at her, waiting to hear the answer, Kelly did what any sensible person would do. She fainted.

    The next thing Kelly remembered was someone splashing a whole bucket of water on her face. She shrieked. Then she heard someone else say, “Well, now we know she’s awake!” Kelly looked up, and there, standing over her, was her stepmother, looking as bitter as ever. Raisin was pouting in a corner, and Prune was looking excited in a chair. The prince was by her feet. He looked confused, dejected, and concerned all at the same time. “Yes,” Kelly said weakly. “What?” the prince said. He seemed surprised that she had enough strength to speak. “I said ‘Yes,’ as in ‘Yes, I will marry you,’” Kelly said.
    The prince looked surprised, then triumphant, and then he pulled Kelly up from the floor and kissed her. Kelly, in turn, looked surprised, then triumphant. The prince took the slipper from his pocket and slipped it on her foot. “Wait,” Kelly said, and then she ran up the stairs to her room and got the other slipper. The prince put that one on, too. Then he said, “The wedding will be next month.” Prune ran to her stepsister and engulfed her in a bear hug. “OH, I’M SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!” she shrieked, and then she jumped up and down for ten seconds. Raisin looked at her strangely, and then asked, “What about us?” Kelly looked surprised. “What about you?” “Well, I mean, who will do our dishes and make dinner and iron and wash clothes?” Raisin replied. “Well, you’ll just have to do it yourself from now on.” Kelly said, in a tone that Raisin thought was haughty. Kelly and the prince got in their carriage and drove away.
    At the palace, preparations were being made for the wedding, which was in two weeks. Kelly felt very out of place in the big gold and marble palace.
    She was being measured, pinched, and poked, scrubbed and cleaned and washed, and she was getting tired of it. At home she lived a quiet life, plain but neat. She might be a little overworked, but it didn’t matter much. At the palace, everything was hustle and bustle. You had to hurry, hurry, hurry to your gown fitting, then race to your room to pick out some new crowns. Not that she didn’t love the prince (in her mind, she never called him Robert, he was always “The Prince”) but she longed for her simple life at home. But Kelly had no time to think about that. She had to run off to get her fingers measured for her wedding ring, for pinky rings, and for all kinds of rings in general.
    Kelly was in her room. She was drawing a picture of a horse. Then she heard a knock on the door. “Come in!” she called. A servant opened the door. “There is a girl here to see you.” He announced with disdain. “Let her in.” Kelly ordered.

    A minute later, Prune poked her head in. “Your Majesty, may I come in?” she asked, with a deep curtsy. “You may call me Kelly, and yes, you may come in!” Kelly giggled. Prune hurried in and shut the door carefully. She curtsied. “Hello Kelly,” she half-whispered, “I’ve come to ask you…to ask you…to ask you if you will come back home!” She blurted out the last words as if they were poisonous. Kelly watched her, surprised. “Well,” she said at last, “I suppose I could.” Prune’s eyes widened. “I didn’t even think you would consider it,” she said, “but it is so lonely having no one to talk to, or take advice from, or…or...,” she paused. “Or to wash dishes for you!” Kelly teased. Prune smiled. “Yeah. So will you do it?” She asked. Kelly considered it. “I’ll talk to the prince.” She said.

    “And so they want me to come home.” Kelly had just finished explaining her ordeal to the prince. He was deep in thought. “Robert? Do you think I could go?” Kelly asked. She waved her hand in front of his face. “Yes.” He said. She squealed loudly. The prince covered his ears. Then he held up one finger. “Wait. You can go on one condition.” Kelly stopped squealing and looked at him. He smiled and said, “You have to take me with you.” Kelly started to squeal again.

    Now Kelly and the prince live happily in their house. After a while, the old stepmother died and Raisin and Prune got married, so they lived alone. But not for long. They had a beautiful baby girl and were very happy.

    The End

    Grace be with you,

    Abby :D

    Thursday, August 12, 2010

    More of my Cinderella story

    Here's some more of my Cinderella story. I decided not to put any magic in it, so here's the result. Enjoy!


    The next day was Saturday. Kelly got up at six ‘o clock and went downstairs to fix breakfast. Andrew was already up. He was in the kitchen, eating a cold pancake. “Are you tired?” He asked. “No,” Kelly lied, with a jaw cracking yawn. “Okay, maybe a little,” she said. “Ha, you’re lying. I can tell you’re really tired,” Andrew said, “You can go rest on the parlor couch, I will make toast.” He grinned. “You’re smart, but you’re not even allowed to the toaster, let alone toast bread in it.” Kelly said, with another yawn. “Who cares?” Andrew said, going over to the toaster and poking it, “I can make toast if I want.”


    Kelly was now eighteen. She wasn’t divinely beautiful, but she was pretty. Andrew was seventeen. Her stepsisters were sixteen. They were pretty ugly. The prince of the country was having a ball. The house was abuzz, and Kelly was exhausted with dresses for her stepsisters, frills, and perfume. She was forever thinking about going herself, but, having nothing to wear, and too many chores to do, she was not even allowed to think about going. Kelly tried to stop herself from thinking about it, but sometimes she just couldn’t stop.

    A week later was the day of the ball. A carriage arrived to take her stepmother and sisters and even Andrew to the ball. Kelly sighed as she watched the carriage disappear around the bend. “Oh, how I wish I could go!” She said. Just then, there was a strange knock at the door. “Who could that be?” She said to herself, “I thought everyone was at the ball, hoping to meet the prince!” Kelly went to the door and opened it. WHOOSH! A pink sewing machine came right at her!

    After she recovered, Kelly saw a lady standing there, all dressed in pink. “Hello,” the woman said. “H-hello,” Kelly said, quite flustered, “and who are you?” “I,” said the lady, “am the pink fast sewer, who can also hire carriages pretty quickly.” There was a pause. “Why did you try to knock me out?” Kelly asked. The woman laughed. “Look at your dress,” she said. Kelly looked down. It was the most beautiful dress ever! It was white, with puffed sleeves. It had a big silk bow at the back, and pearls all down the skirt. There were also little silk slippers. “Oh, thank you!” Kelly cried, “I’ll go right now!” Suddenly lightning flashed and it started to pour. Kelly’s face fell. “Did you think you’d be going without a carriage, my dear?” The woman asked, her own face jolly. She snapped her fingers and a carriage drove up. She also gave Kelly a silk umbrella with white flowers on it. “Everything is perfect!” Kelly said, opening the umbrella and starting toward the carriage, “Thank you! I love it!” “Wait, my dear,” the woman called. Kelly stopped and looked at the lady. “I need the carriage back at midnight.” She said. “Okay,” Kelly cried ecstatically, “Goodbye! GOODBYE!”

    Grace be with you,

    Abby :D

    Rambling on and on...

     Summer is still not over for me, although I almost wish it was. Almost  (but not really) . I haven't had much to do, but I am thinking about making an apron. Pattern ideas, anyone?
    I am also thinking about taking up the mandolin.




















    (not my photo)

    Interesting idea, but I'm still not sure. I'm still thinking about flute, as well. My piano is still going strong, but I'm getting a bit bored with it. :P I don't know why. 
    So we went to our grandma and granpa's rental house for a night. We played in the woods a liittle bit there, and for the rest of the day, all I could think of was TICKS... *shudder* Ew. Thankfully I didn't have any ticks. Or fleas, or bedbugs. :D 
    So, I've been wondering...

    #1. How do you get someone to guest post on your blog? Do you just ask them?


    #2. How do you get someone to donate/whatever to a giveaway on your blog? Do you pay them?


    #3. Are my posts entertaining, interesting, absorbing, etc.? Are you getting something out of them?


    #4. What do you think about me changing my blogging name to Corrine? (I know I asked this question in my poll, but I want to know what everyone personally thinks)


    If you can answer any of these, I would most certainly appreciate it. Thanks!

    Have a great week!

    Grace be with you,

    Abby :D

    Do you want to know who the winner is? (otherwise entitled, The Winner)

     The winner is Kendra! Congratulations!


















    Please comment your address (which will not be posted) and I will send you the summer-y notecards.

    Great job to our runners-up! Thanks for playing!

    Thanks for voting, everyone!!!


    Grace be with you,

    Abby :D

    Wednesday, August 11, 2010

    This is a version of Cinderella I wrote about two or three years ago. Enjoy!

    Kelly never knew her mother, and her father remarried after her mother died. He married a cruel, hard-hearted woman. Soon after that, her father died. Kelly was only eight years old. She continued to live with her stepmother, along with her brother Andrew and twin stepsisters Raisin and Prune. Kelly’s stepmother made her do chores that were hard even for boys older than she, but Kelly did them without complaining. Andrew and her stepsisters were care-free and sometimes mean. But that didn’t stop Kelly from having a cheerful attitude.

    Kelly, a basket on her arm, opened the gate and skipped down the path to the cottage. It was a very beautiful day. She opened the door and stepped in, closing the cottage door carefully behind her. “Kelly, is that you?” A cruel voice came from the parlor. “Yes, ma’am, it’s me.” Kelly said, kicking off her shoes. “It’s about time you got here!” The voice said. Kelly heard footsteps. Then a woman appeared in the parlor doorway. She was skinny, tall, and well-dressed, her dark brown hair done up in a bun, with a sharp nose and thin lips. Her gray-blue eyes were narrowed, making them look thinner than they were.  “You’ve been gone much too long, Kelly.” She said. “That was ten more minutes than you were allowed. Let me think of a punishment. Ah, I’ve got just the one. No dinner for you.” Kelly gasped. “But, Madam…I… I haven’t had any breakfast or lunch,” She said, distressed. “Well, you’ve been extra bad today. By the way, I will tell you your chores.” Kelly’s stepmother said. Kelly sighed as she listened to yet another list of chores. Kelly was a thin, eleven-year-old girl with pale skin, brown eyes, and red lips. She had long, black hair, which was usually tied up with a big red ribbon. She had only one outfit, which was a short dingy blue dress. “Now, go start dinner. I’m hungry. Then call your brother and sisters in from the yard.” Mistress said. Kelly sighed, and then walked slowly into the kitchen. Her little brother’s name was Andrew. He was ten. Her twin stepsister’s names were Raisin and Prune. They were both nine. Kelly started on dinner. She made chicken and rice casserole. After the table was set, she called the twins and Andrew in from the backyard. "Do we have to?" The twins said together. “Yes.” Kelly replied. They walked, slowly and sulkily, into the house. Andrew, who had been climbing a tree, jumped down, and, in the process, ripped a hole in his pants. “Andrew!” Kelly cried. “Sorry.” Andrew said meekly. “That’s okay.” Kelly said, somewhat regretfully. She was thinking of all the other pairs of pants to mend. She would just have to mend another pair. Andrew skipped inside to join his sisters. Kelly, thinking of one more pair of pants to mend, sighed heavily. Today is a day for sighing, Kelly thought, and sighed again.

    After dinner, Kelly washed the dishes. Then she went to her room and thought about her day. A little after midnight, she went to sleep, exhausted.

    Tuesday, August 10, 2010

    My Sister's Giveaway!

    My darling sister is having a giveaway! Details here. Please please please go check it out and enter!
    *puppy dog face*

                                                                                            

    Another (rather odd) story, dragged up from the confines of my computer.

     This is a story I wrote a long time ago. It was from the point of a bee, although I'm not quite sure it's accurate. Happy reading!

    "Aahhhhh!" Lily screamed "Bees!" Wait. Let me back up a bit. I’m Splat. I live in an attic. The people’s last name is Smith. That’s whose attic I live in. They have a daughter. Her name is Lily. I have a mom, a dad, forty-five sisters, twenty-one brothers, eighty-two cousins, eighty-two aunts, eighty-two uncles, and lots of grandmas and grandpas. Actually, we all live in the attic. We’re bees, if you didn’t already guess. Well, on this particular day, The Bee-killers (That’s what we call the Smiths, because they hate bees,) decided they wanted to clean out their attic. They had just started to unload, but all of my family buzzed out! Now here’s what I told you in the first place. "Ahhhh!" Lily screamed. "Bees!" She screamed so loud, it felt like my ears came off! Actually my feelers, but you get the picture. So when Lily’s dad went to get the fly swatter, Uncle Louie got the bright idea to sting Lily. I guess he forget that bees die when they sting. Amazingly, he didn’t. "Oh, yeah," I said out loud. "We’re yellow jackets." While Lily was screaming her head off, we all flew to safety. Lily’s dad came with the fly swatter. "Dad, Uncle Louie stung me!" Lily said. No, I’m just kidding. She didn’t say that. She said: "Dad, a stupid bee stung me!" Well, that was too much for my cousin. (Uncle Louie’s daughter,) "My dad’s not stupid!" she cried. And she buzzed straight for them. A mistake. Lily’s dad swatted her on the spot, then they went inside. We all rushed to her. She was alive! We cleaned her up and then we went back to the Attic. So everything is happily ever after, the end, right? Not exactly. Read more in my next story, okay? Okay!

    Grace be with you,

    Abby :D

    Photo Contest...

    You all did wonderfully! These are the three finals.
      
    #1: Anna


















    #2: Kendra

















    #3: Mattie















    So now it's up to you. Which one is your favorite? Please comment on this post and tell me. :D

     I'll post the answer on Thursday.

    I'm withholding comments from public view until it's over.

    Grace be with you,

    Abby :D

    Oh yeah, and GUESS WHAT?! I've been blogging for a YEAR!!! Hooray!!!!

    Monday, August 9, 2010

    Poetry

    Hamster Song
    Roly-poly hamster
    Running on your wheel to
    Nowhere
    Tan legs, pink feet
    Exercising
    Digging a tunnel
    To hide in
    Sleeping with
    Pure bliss on your face.


    A Rainy Poem
    After it rains
    The world is
    Wet
    There is
    Water everywhere
    Oh no! This poem is
     F
    L
      O
    A
       T
    I
      N
    G

       A
    W
      A
    Y!


    Howl
    I see the wolf from the window
    Silhouetted against the moon
    Howling, Howling, Howling.
    It is so shrill, so loud, so piercing
    I hope he’ll stop soon
    I pull the covers over my ear to
    block the howl But I can still hear it
    Ringing in my ears
    Howling, Howling, Howling.


    Here are a couple of poems I wrote a while ago. I'm not sure why they're all lined up like that.

    What do you think?

    Grace be with you,

    A doubtful poet :D

    Thursday, August 5, 2010

    A Contest

    Today I am having a photography contest! The theme is creativity, which means I want to see creative photos. :D I love creative photos.

    Rules
    1. You can post up to three photos.
    2. It has to be your own photography.
    3. Well, it has to be creative. (this can mean a interesting angle, weird shadows, etc.)

    Oh, and if you enter, make sure you comment on this post and leave your pictures' url. Thanks. :D


    Now for the prize...















    ...These five summer-y cards! Enter now to win!

    Oh, yeah! The deadline is Tuesday, August 10. Thanks for asking, Guin! I forgot. :D

    Grace be with you,

    Abby :D

    Wednesday, August 4, 2010

    A Tag

     Anne tagged me!

    1) What is your favorite flower? I don't know... maybe... roses? Daisies? Daffodils?

    2) City or country? I don't know on this one either. I was raised in the suburbs, but I've always wanted to live on a farm.

    3) What is your favorite band? I don't have one, I don't listen to much music.

    4) If Jeopardy called, would you go on the show? I'd have to talk to my parents.

    5) If you won Jeopardy, what would you do with the money? Go on a craft store shopping spree. :D

    6) Are you the oldest in your family? No, I'm the second oldest.

    7) What will you name one of your daughters? Sons? Girl: Ruth, Boy: Whatever my husband's name is.

    8) QUICK, name a song! Jingle Bells. :D

    9) If you could tour with a band, which one would you tour with? I have no idea.

    10) Do you have freckles or dimples? Freckles.

    Rules: Answer the questions, then make up 10 of your own and tag (put your number here) more people.

    My Ten Questions:
    1. Sunny or Rainy?
    2. Sweet or Sour?
    3. Who is your favorite writer?
    4.When was the last time you ate breakfast food for dinner?
    5. Which is the most annoying, mosquitoes or flies?
    6. Sewing or Knitting?
    7. The beach or the mountains?
    8. Would you rather shop at the thrift store or a brand name store?
    9. Broccoli or chocolate?
    10. Did you do this tag right when you saw it, or a couple days after?

    I will tag:

    Marelle at Marelle's Blog
    Amanda at Farmgirl Writes
    Bleah Briann at With Love and Kisses
    Kendra at Ismikendra
    Mattie at Insert Creative Title Here

    And don't forget, if you don't want to do this, you don't have to. Also, if you want to do this, and I didn't tag you, feel free to steal the tag. :D

    Grace be with you,

    Abby :D

    Oh, and how do you like my new blog button? Kendra made it for me. :D

    Tuesday, August 3, 2010

    Pineapple, among other things

    1. Pineapple.












    Today I learned how to cut up a pineapple. Fresh pineapple is marvelous!

    2.Caterpillar. Today my mother found a caterpillar on our parsley. It's another swallowtail.













    Do you see it?

    3. M&Ms













    4.Making this little puppy












    I got the pattern from Family Fun, and enlarged it. His name is Rover. :D My little brother named him.

    5. A very strange sunset












    This was a weird one. The sun was in the west, reflecting off of the clouds in the east. It looked like a sunrise. :D It was sort of stormy as well.

    Lately it's been hot, humid, and sunny. :P Ugh. I'm sure glad someone invented AC. And I feel so sorry for people whose AC is broken! *Shriek!* They must be dying.

    Today my grandma's coming home from a trip. She was visiting her sister. And then this weekend, we are going to my other grandma and grandpa's rental home for the weekend. :D I think it'll be fun!

    What are your plans for the weekend?

    Grace be with you,

    Abby :D