Merry Christmas!!

I'm not going to say much, but I just wanted to wish everyone a merry Christmas, or anything else you might celebrate.  I celebrate Christmas, and will leave you a SUPER cute picture of a teensy Santa Claus!!

Happy Homeschooling and Holidays!

Christmas Eve Eve :P

Hi!  Haven't been posting much because....well there's not much to post about, and I get a break.  But I do want to share this super-duper funny video in the spirit of Christmas and homeschooling!

This is soooo true!!  We have been asked a few of these questions (especially the PE and tests one), and I thought it was pretty funny :)

Ready for Christmas!!!

Happy Homeschooling!

I'm Alive!!

Hello, it's me.  Finally.  I've been trying to post for a few days but pictures aren't uploading :(  Just wanted to say, I'm alive, and hopefully will post more often.  Things are a little bit complicated where posting is concerned--my Gmail and blog are on separate accounts, so I have to sign out of mail and into my blog to post.  It's not that bad, just annoying.  I'm trying to be better about posting here though :)

Thanks!

Happy Homeschooling!

Pomegranate Cookie Pictures!! And Christmas!

My mom's Double Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies :) 

(Sorry about the bad photo quality, these were taken in photobooth because I really wanted to show you right away!)

So those are just the pictures of the yummalicious cookies, haha, which are already half gone.  Granted, we gave some to our cousins because we had a lot.  Let's get on to the good stuff!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

Today is the first day of Advent, so we're making our Advent wreath to put the pretty candles in and then we'll light them every Sunday leading  up to Christmas.  It's not done yet but I'll post pictures as soon as possible.  My obsession with Christmas cannot be described.  I could have the Christmas season all year long: the carols, the wintry fires, the cookies!, the trees, the Dickens village--which I will post pictures of too, everything!  All you Christmas junkies like me will understand, of course, but I could totally have the first two/three weeks of December all year long!  I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

You have to see my face when I talk about it to get the full effect.  If you ever see me, just ask what I love about Christmas and I will talk about it for at least 10 minutes straight.  Really.

So as long as I'm listening to carols and smelling pine and cookies and seasonal stuff (like I am right now), everything's good.

Happy Homeschooling! 

Double Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies!!

Yes, another recipe, but I don't think anybody will be mad at me for sharing :)

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) butter

½ cup vegetable shortening

¾ cup white sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

2-2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)

Tools:

KitchenAid mixer

Wooden spoon

Medium bowl

Oven ;-)

1. Preheat oven to 350〫Take a whole pomegranate; slice in half.  Put one half on your palm, flat-side down.  Hold your hand over bowl of cold water and rap on pomegranate with a wooden spoon, gently rattling the seeds loose; as they come out, let them fall through your fingers into the bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter, shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla into mixer; cream on medium high for 3 full minutes.  Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  When fully mixed, add chocolate chips and pomegranate arils.
3. Bake for 15 minutes

Makes 2-3 dozen.

Recipe courtesy of Kelly Arispe.

Thanksgiving

I'm going to my grandparents' house for Thanksgiving, after watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (between that and the Rose Parade, I get enough TV for two months!) and, you know, staying in my pajamas until 12.  Fun, right?  There's also some work involved though.

I'm making side dishes for dinner!  Well, lunch.  Not lunch exactly though...dunch?  Linner?  That always perplexes me!  (I really like the word perplexed, haha)

#1.  Apple Pie Party Dip with Cinnamon Sugar Chips

See the video to get the recipe--it's in the bottom bar (click "more info", it's at the bottom).

#2. Cranberry-Orange Relish

Ingredients:
1 package fresh or frozen cranberries
1 medium orange
3/4-1 cup sugar

Slice unpeeled orange into eighths (you may want to do a little smaller).  Place half of cranberries and half of orange pieces into food processor bowl.  Process until evenly chopped.  Repeat.  Stir in sugar to taste.

This was given to my Granna by a friend of hers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

And Homeschooling (even though we're all on break)!

British Accent?

I don't know what's going on with the accents (Latin people) but one of my BFFs had me do my British accent for a classmate today.  I totally could have done better if my throat wasn't so weird--I swear, I can barely talk sometimes--but after he said that I was good, I just had to put the credit out there.

I owe my accent to Emma Watson, who taught me herself through the Harry Potter movies.  Without her, I wouldn't be where I am today.

Perhaps I should go all the way back to JK Rowling, because if she hadn't written the books, then Chris Columbus wouldn't have made the first movie and cast Emma Watson in it, and then where would I be?  Seriously, the only accent in my possession would be my Jack Sparrow accent, and that is decidedly not extremely proper, thank you!  Although I must admit, there's some charm ;)

So as I go today, I'd like to thank all those British movies that have taught me the wonder of the beautiful accent their actors seem to possess.  If you have to say something charmingly, say it like a proper Englishman/woman.

Wait, what was the point of this?  There really wasn't one--but I needed to post something, didn't I?

Happy Homeschooling!

Not-So-Secret Obsession

Wanna know what it is?  Well I'll tell you: even though it's not school-related.

First I'll give you a...hint.

Haha.  Yeah.

GO PIRATES!!

So my obsession started when I had to play He's a Pirate for orchestra last summer.  I just couldn't understand where I was supposed to play!  So my mom let me watch the movie, and of course after that I kind of got the song more, but it was really just the start of the deep love for these movies.  If I can't have Harry Potter, give me Jack Sparrow :)  Luckily, I can have both!

Anyways, I missed the 4th one, On Stranger Tides (starring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush, and more) when it was in theaters this May, so when it finally  came out last month, I really wanted it.  Really, really, really wanted it.

So when I was offered the chance to watch it over the weekend, I totally jumped for the opportunity.  Jumped, screamed, and generally freaked out, actually.

It was so stinking good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just as good as Curse of the Black Pearl.  Really!

 Angelica Teach- Penelope Cruz

 Hector Barbossa- Geoffrey Rush

 Jack Sparrow- Johnny Depp

 Syrena- Astrid Berges-Frisbey

Blackbeard- Ian McShane

Philip- Sam Claflin

That's all for my random post today!

Happy Homeschooling!

Rainy Day with One Assignment

Today is rainy, dreary, and gray.  I'm posting this early because I only have one thing to do today--finishing my history project.  This is because my poor little sister is not feeling good.

Scratch that.  My little sister is feeling terrible.  She's not exactly in any place where she can do anything but watch TV and lay on the couch eating Rice Krispies.

That would explain why I'm on the computer at 11 am not doing schoolwork, and why I'm not going to be doing anything exceptional today, that I will be able to post about.  Which is why I'm posting about this.  Now I'm confusing myself!  Ahh!

Forgetting about that, I'm going to try again to get my history project done and help my little sis feel better.

Happy Homeschooling!

French Bread and Rosemary Olive Oil

Look at these beautiful pictures of the food we had for snack today.

But did we buy these beauties?  O-ho no!!!  We made them--the bread and rosemary infused olive oil!!  The oil turned the bread from plain to the taste of focaccia--yum.  It was so extremely good I probably won't eat a full dinner, only that! :)  It was some of the best food I have ever, ever tasted!  Order it while it lasts, leave a comment below and we'll reserve some.

Just kidding.  But my mom does make a darn good loaf of bread, as my friend at Sparkles will tell you.  Really!  But that was our project for the day, hope you enjoy the pics and...

Happy Homeschooling!

Day in the Life of a Homeschooler

I wake up--it's 7:30 or 8 am.  I don't want to get up, but I have to, so it's out of my room and into the kitchen for breakfast.  When I'm done eating, I check my email for the assignments my mom emailed me last night.  A normal day has:

Work on Book of Centuries (a history project that I do for each unit)
Science lesson
English reading
Maybe a short writing assignment
Bible study questions
Math lesson
Extra assignment(s) and/or PE

After putting down my agenda in my planner, I start math (which is on the computer).  When I'm done, I move on to Book of Centuries, then Bible.  I might start my reading for English.  After lunch, I do my science lesson with Mom.  I finish my reading and do my writing (if I have any), then do PE and some chores to help around the house.

When school is over, I relax, listen to music, read a library book or something (I'm currently reading I'd Tell You I Love You but then I'd have to Kill You by Ally Carter), or go on the computer.

It's a good life.

Happy Homeschooling!

Rain, Rain!

We were planning on barbecuing a steak tonight, but that's not happening because it's raining out!!  I'm not that bummed, because the cooking steak will warm up the house--not like it's cold, but warm=happy me--anyways, the weather has been kinda gray and annoying all day, and I'm glad it's finally raining!

Enjoy the rain and Happy Homeschooling!

Technical Difficulties

If you tried to watch the video I posted and was told that it was "unavailable to watch", I'm really sorry and am working on getting it up again.  I took it down for now and will re-post it as soon as possible!  Thanks!

Happy Homeschooling!

PS: I am going to do another post really soon--probably next week--so stay tuned!!

Halloween!!

It's Halloween tomorrow!  I'm so excited, I'm going as a crayon!  We're carving pumpkins now, I took a break to post.

This really isn't about school, I guess, but that's okay.  What are you guys being?  This isn't gonna be very long, just an update post.  More soon!

Happy Halloween...and Homeschooling!

Kulering

Yes, "coloring" is spelled wrong on purpose.  I was just on Adobe Kuler, a website that lets you see what colors look good together on a color wheel.  You have to check it out to really get the jist, but if you're like me--super color coordinated and oriented--you'll LOVE this!  I plan on making interior decorating my job, and this is a great website if you want to repaint your room or something.  Try typing in any letter up to F and any number from 0-9 in the hex box (as long as it's eight characters) and you'll get a unique color.  Some combinations I liked: 12E6BB (blue green), FFA957 (melon), and FDB6FF (dusty pinkish purple).

I adored it and will definitely be visiting the site again!!

On another note, we (my dad, siblings, and I) went to the Crowden School of Music today for the Open House.  It was pretty neat.  Apparently it's a normal school with an emphasis on music, which is a regular class there.  It's definitely nice campus.

That's all for now, I'm gonna head over to do some joint homeschooling with a friend, back soon though.

Happy Homeschooling!

Ups--and downs--of Homeschooling

Ups:
1. Sleeping in (sometimes)

2. School's done when I'm finished.

3. Being with my siblings

4. Working by myself (not always great, but mostly)

5. Helping my mom

Downs:

1. Not being with my friends all the time

2. Only one teacher (but I love my mom!)

You know, those are the only things.  Five ups, two downs.  Homeschooling has a lot of bonuses!

(I have no idea why I have all anime.  It just turned out like that.  I did not draw them, by the way.)

Happy Homeschooling!

Fall Needlefelting

Here are some pictures of a fall needlefelting project I just made.  And I mean just made--I finished it and took some pictures and sat down to blog! :)  It's by far not the best I've done, but it's the first fruit ever made in with wool in our house.

An apple slice!!!  For the first fruit I've done, and the fact that I had to make it somewhat wedge-shaped, I think it's pretty good.  That's all for now, though.  I have one more assignment to work on and I want to get it done!

Happy Homeschooling!

Field Trip!

Yesterday we went to Carmel, because it was supposed to rain here.  Did it?  I don't know, but it sure did rain there, even though it wasn't supposed to!!!  We got some pictures of the mission, and on the beach.  It was not raining there (the beach), so we had some fun anyways!

This was the beach.  It wasn't raining at this point--in fact, it was beautiful!

This is us walking into the church (it was raining here)

So now I am really annoyed because I took a 2 hour break to go visit my dad at his work and none of my other pictures uploaded!!!  If I can get them I will, but for now I'm going to go.  Also, I hope you all had a good day at school because I did :)

Happy Homeschooling!

Taming of the Shrew

So I went to go see the Taming of the Shrew performed by CalShakes with my friend.  I read the book and listened to an audio recording and all that, but the play still didn't really make sense.  So when I heard we were going to go see it, I was super excited (this was helped by the fact that I was going with one of my best friends :D).  Then, we got rained out--HALFWAY through the play!!!  I was so upset, but then I found out that I'm going with another friend!  So now I'm super super happy, because it was one of the best plays I have ever been to.  It was in a modern setting, which was definitely a plus.

I'll be back soon with pictures and interesting school stuff, hopefully...

Happy Homeschooling!

Hello!

Hi, just wanted to say I'm still alive, just tired and working hard!  I've been on the computer but there isn't anything really blog-worthy going on.  I got more textbooks, maybe I'll take some pics of those...I don't know.  Oh, I'm seeing The Taming of the Shrew next week, I'll talk about that then.  I'm so tired, so I'm going to go for now, but I am still here!

Happy Homeschooling!

Science Trip

Today we did a mini science field trip for my brother.  We looked for different leaves, plants, etc.  I took some pictures, as did my mom.

 For some reason, my brother was not happy that we were taking a picture of him, haha!

Here I am, clipping some leaves.

Some pretty trees I noticed...

And this really cool tree.  I can't remember what kind it was.

I tried uploading more, but they wouldn't load! :(  If I can get them to I'll post them, as long as it's soon.  We also made apple juice the other day, still trying to get the pictures for that!  More soon!!!

Happy Homeschooling!

No textbooks?!

We only have one textbook!!!  We need our math, because I am dying with our review packet here!  Rrr... Mostly I just wanted to check in, because I've got nothing quite yet.  We meet with our CT, Alissa Widmer, tomorrow though.  But I'll be honest--I've been busy enough to not have any arts&crafts posts, but the material I'm going over isn't exactly interesting enough to post.  So I am alive, and I'll find something to post about soon, I promise!

Happy Homeschooling!

Bronze Bow, History Stuff, Math & English

So I've been reading the Bronze Bow for History/English and it's pretty cool.  It's about a boy named Daniel whose life's ambition is to take down the Romans.  It's set during the time of Jesus, when he was preaching.  Daniel came home to his sister in one chapter after listening to Jesus, and told her about the story of the Good Samaritan.  It's awesome!
I've also been doing review of the Roman Empire for History, but since I already learned about it, it's not exactly as interesting...anyways, Mrs Sauter isn't teaching me now : )
Mom has had me reviewing decimals and fractions in math, adding and subtracting them and whatnot.  Just a review, until our textbook comes.  I think we're doing the Algebra 1 text, but I'm not sure.  Math isn't my favorite, anyways--it's not like I'm anxiously waiting for it to come.
And we've been reminding me of all the prefix and suffix stuff that I kind of knew but summer has blown away from my brain.  My brain likes summer }:D
So that's about it, I've been pretty busy so no projects yet but I'm going to my friend's house from tomorrow until Tuesday for some more school.  And I get to ride her horse, and I might get a rabbit...that's the most exciting part!  I love rabbits, and she breeds Netherland Dwarfs.

That's all for today, but check back soon!

Happy Homeschooling!

First Day!

So today is my first day of school.  Crazy, right?  I've been going to Latin at my old school for a week, though.  Go 7 Wolfpack!  And today, we went to the Sunol Water Temple.  I will post some pictures we took as soon as I can upload them.

I also did a science lab a week or two ago.  Me and my friend who is also a homeschooler went to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Pacifica.  They had the most AMAZING tidepools!  I swear, I have never seen anything like them!  We saw some fish, snails, hermit crabs, big anemones, coral, mussels, and a seaweed called Iridescent Seaweed, among other kinds of seaweed and kelp.  The park ranger told us that there had been sightings of several different kinds of whales, including orcas and blue whales!  We learned a lot, and I really want to go back!

I've got some worksheets to do, so I'll go for now.  But in the meantime...

Happy Homeschooling!

MERMAID AND GNOME!!!!

I made these yesterday and am super happy with how they turned out!!!  The first is a fall gnome that I'm using for our fall nature table, which I think we'll put together in a few weeks.  The second is a mermaid that I really love a lot, but I may try to part company with her if I get general support for a giveaway.  So if you want her, tell me in comments!

This is my fall gnome!  Isn't he adorable?

This is my mermaid who I call Citrine (a yellow gemstone), and her purple oyster chair!

Gnome and Citrine together!

Like I said, I will give Citrine (and her oyster) a new home if people want her!  My gnome is staying here, though.

JAUNTY GNOME UPDATE: mercibuckets does not currently have any Jaunty Gnomes for sale, but if she makes and posts any I will be sure to tell you!

Happy Homeschooling!

Bracelets

These are two bracelets I've made (don't worry, I've made way more!), so you know what kind I do!  I do this one, which I call the "knotted bracelet", and also a simple braided one.  Here they are!

I made this one for my mom for Independence Day...

and I wear this one on a daily basis.

Hope you enjoy!  I'm always making more, I'll probably post the colors I use in a few days!

Happy Homeschooling!

Picasso Inspired Snack

I made this after a Picasso story and painting that I did with my mom, brother, and sister.  Picasso snacks!  Surreal marshmallows, anyone?

I made these using:

1 jumbo marshmallow (thanks, Pierce!) for the body

2 mini marshmallows for the hands

1 cheerio for the mouth

1&1/2 pretzel sticks for the arms and nose

2 chocolate chips for the eyes

1 toothpick for spearing, haha! >: )

Yummmmmmy!

The finished product!

Sorry about the mixed up order, the finished product was supposed to come before me eating it!  It was really good, though.  I think I'll make another!

On a different topic, I'm THINKING, just thinking, about doing a giveaway: needlefelted gnome & flower, or bracelet.  Or both, in separate giveaways...I don't know if I have enough followers, though.  Please tell me if you want me to!

In the meantime, Happy Homeschooling!