let's start over.

what a crazy couple of weeks.

i graduated!
what a crazy feeling, i still don't think it has completely sunken in. it wasn't until i was walking across the stage and shaking the chancellor's hand that it started to become real. i got to sit with my roommate chelsea, and when it was time to go up they take your picture beforehand and we insisted that ours be taken together :] our families came for the ceremony and were waving and cheering the entire time. afterward we went back to our apartment for champagne. i love my roommate's family, and they get along so well with mine. it was a lovely afternoon. i went out to lunch with my dad and had amazing sushi and talked about life. i love my dad. the whole weekend our friends were graduating and every night was a celebration.
this is me and my lovely mama. i just died my hair the day before - it's so bright!

my little brother also graduated high school that week, so we had a joined graduation party with our family last weekend. he's going off to sf state in the fall and i am just so incredibly proud of him. he's become quite an amazing young man.
it was all so much fun, and i'm kind of sad it's all over. but on to new chapters!

speaking of chapters (perfect transition to my next topic), i've made the goal of reading 10 books this summer. i did this last year and i ended up reading 3. hopefully i'll be more productive. i just finished reading tweak and it was amazing. i love nic's openness and honesty about his life and his faults. he is so beautiful and inspiring, this book has definitely changed the way i think about life and happiness.
now that school is done, i'm working full time at my job on campus. it's nice that when i get home all i have to do is nothing! but of course, i can't just do nothing. all this week i've been busy crafting and cleaning. i really want to do my i do solemnly swear journal from rachel's class next week. i've written all the journals, now i just need to get the pages together. it's so inspiring, i have so many goals for this summer. i have a feeling it may just be the best one yet.
my roommate monica recently expressed an interest in painting, so we went to our local art store, got some supplies, and have been having paint sessions almost every night this week. she's so great, she will come in with a specific idea, and then it just completely transforms into something different. i really like that about her work, she just goes with the flow, not caring about it being exactly what she originally intended. i started a new one the other night, with absolutely nothing in mind, and it's become all about life. i really like where it's going.

i got a new cd this week, veckatimest by grizzly bear. its super mellow and i've been listening to it while i paint and journal. it's so relaxing, i highly recommend it :]
also! new challenge up over at scrap outside the box. this time it was ally's pick, and she chose clothing tags. what a fun challenge, you should try it :]
and and and something very exciting is happening in my life right now. i came back into contact with a friend from kindergarten (seriously, haven't seen this guy since i was five years old), his name is jake and he's currently in amsterdam getting his masters in art and working as a tattoo artist. well, he and a friend are opening up their own tattoo shop/art gallery and he wants to put some of my paintings in the gallery. i am beyond excited! jake and i are meeting up for the first time in 18 years to catch up and trade art secrets. i'm sooo excited :]

that's all for now, i'll be back early next week with more updates and weekend fun.