this is halloween

Went to a Halloween party on Friday night.  Ted and I won best costume!

Had some butterbeer and a cauldron cake at Harry Potter shabbat & baked late night vegan pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and watched a little Nightmare Before Christmas on Saturday.

Stumbled upon a pumpkin carving party after dinner on Monday.

I put my phone's flashlight on inside to light it up!

I was extra festive yesterday, and today I am in costume!

Hope everyone is having a happy Halloween!  I'm spending mine a little sick, drinking tea, watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch, eating too much sugar, and doing homework.  At least I'm in costume!  Well, when I'm out and about--right now I'm in my comfy clothes.  

I offered to replace someone on crew, so I also have dress rehearsal for the mainstage (I'm a wardrobe supervisor) all night.  In retrospect, I probably should have considered the time commitment before saying "Sure! Of course!" right away.  I definitely take after my mom in that way, always offering my help even though it might drive me a little crazy.

Regardless, it's been a wonderful and packed October and I'm so excited for what November and (eee!!!) December has in store for me.  Happy Halloween!

P.S. There were decorate-your-own cookies and caramel apples in the bon tonight.  I almost spilled sprinkles everywhere when a head popped up from the table.

american girls for life

When I got dressed today, I looked in the mirror and was reminded of my American Girl doll Kit Kittredge...  And when Claire visited me outside the theatre for the costume sale, I dressed her up as my other historical doll, Kirsten Larson.  All of this made me extremely happy, because I love the magical and nostalgic world of American Girl.

photo diary: bend, or

This weekend I went on my first college outdoors trip!  I can't believe I haven't taken advantage of this awesome program my school has to offer until now.  A small group of us went to Bend, OR to hike and learn about astronomy and geology.  We stayed at the historic Skyliners Lodge, which was built in the 20s by a group of Norwegians and Swedes.  They chose the location based on how likely it was to snow there so they could have prime time for skiing.  Of course, the second night it snowed!

Things we did:

• Looked at Jupiter and some sweet constellations (too bad I was way too short to use the telescope properly)
• Hiked the lava lands and had lunch at the top
• Hiked around the Deschutes waterfall and was overwhelmed by the beauty of Oregon
• Learned & forgot every tree we saw
• When the awesome soaking pool wouldn't take us because not all of us had IDs, we went to a fancy outdoor mall for an hour or so with a giant REI, people celebrating Homecoming, a cool spice shop with yummy samples, crazy little girls around a fire pit, and a couple that Ted kept bothering with overly friendly small talk
• Ate a satisfying pasta dinner while a fire kept us warm and cozy
• Woke up at 3 in the morning to watch a meteor shower with no such luck
• Looked for awesome colorful lava rocks while people shadily used the open space below for a shooting range
• Saw a 330 feet cliff with an old bridge built over the Crooked River
• Went to a rock farm with 31 peacocks, 2 scary growling emus, cattle, and so many rocks
• Ate too many snacks
• Drove back to the rain (it was nice to have a couple days of sun even though it was quite chilly)

I'm probably missing something, but you get the gist.  It was a lovely time, and I am really proud of myself for branching out and trying something new.  I'm not really an adventurer by nature---I kind of have to talk myself into new experiences, even though I am usually really happy once I'm in the moment.  I can't wait to explore more of Oregon!

Bend on Dwellable

low quality pics of high quality halloween enthusiasm

I recently got a Halloween package in the mail from my lovely grandparents and this is what happened to my room...

Window decor I made from tissue paper.

Old-fashioned Halloween postcards and some ribbon for good measure.

Fall garland I made from felt leftover from last year's Ms. Frizzle costume.

Fabric ghost and mummified owl made from leftover fabric from this year's costume.  Also:  sweet nail polish. 

Web tissue paper with giant festive spider.

A trolley-load (oh Harry Potter jokes, you never get old) of candy.  Pumpkin Spice tea!  Mummified gourd (my roommate's...I surprised her)!  Pumpkin lotion!! (I've been putting this on every day since I got it.  One morning I forgot and Ted told me I smelled like pumpkin.  I was like, Well, I didn't put the lotion on today...  I must be exuding Fall enthusiasm from my every pore.)

Old-fashioned Halloween postcards.

Random sparkly fun.  And yes, a I Love Pie sign was necessary to make.

Not decorations.  But.  Kenzie's pickles.  Enough said.

Pumpkin from the dining hall!!!!  Ted politely asked if we could take one, and the guy was so surprised we didn't try to steal one like everyone else that he let us take one!

Halloween is coming, and I'm ready with another banner I don't even know where to put.

photo diary: multnomah falls, oregon

Yesterday my friends and I drove to Multnomah Falls for a hike!  We saw seven waterfalls in total over about 5 miles in the rain.  It was a lovely time, and I am proud that I don't even feel sore (yet).  Hopefully there are more hiking daytrips to come.