Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!

This week has been crazy.  It was tech week/opening week for the school musical (Footloose, did I already tell you that?  Oh well.).  I have been getting home pretty late, so I'm pretty tired. 
I'm open to things, but generally I'm a pessimist.  On the website for the scholarship I applied for, it said that if you received a scholarship, then we would hear in 2 weeks.  Well, by Wednesday of week 2, I was sure that I wasn't going to get it.  In fact, I was kinda freaking out.  Where was I going to get all that money??  Wednesday was also opening night, which I think went really well.  When I got home, exhausted, about to start homework, I refreshed my email.  Sure enough, there was an email saying that I had gotten the scholarship!! :)  A full scholarship to study in China for a year!  I was so excited!  I still am!!! :)  I am so grateful for this.  I can't wait to see what challenges await me.  I leave August 18th, 2011.  I will either be in Nanjing or Changzhou (look at a map of China: it looks like a chicken, doesn't it?  So if you can see the "chicken", Nanjing and Changzhou are right in the breast of the chicken).
I am so pumped for summer!
I just have to get a passport (on Monday), and then there's pretty much nothing standing in the way of China!

I want to thank everyone who has helped me achieve this.  My parents for signing all the paperwork and supporting me, my teachers for writing letter of rec., and filling out tedious transcripts, and my friends, for helping me raise money, and helping me along the way.  (Zoë and Mert were right, refreshing my email didn't make the email get here any faster!) 

I think that's all for now.  I'll keep you updated!!!

I'm walking on sunshine, woah, and don't it feel good?!!

So two days ago, I was checking my voicemail (which I rarely, do) and there was a voicemail from AFS.  I got in to AFS China!!!!!!  I leave in August.  At first, I thought it was a joke because it was April Fools Day, and my friends (and teachers) had already played jokes on me.  I called her back, and she told me she was serious.  I was (and still am) soooooo excited about this wonderful opportunity.  Now, I'm still waiting to hear back about the scholarship... I should hear in the next 2 weeks.  I'm really nervous.  AHHHHHH!  I'll be notified by email, and even though they're probably closed on weekends, I have been compulsively checking my email (if you know me, then you know I already do that, but this is even more extreme).  I guess I'll just have to be patient.  At least getting accepted has put me in a good mood.  It's one of those natural highs, when you are stressed, but it's okay because of ____.  I just wanted to update you guys on this.  Yay!!!
Now I have a lot of homework to attend to, then work...
That kinda isn't so much fun, but it's okay because I'm going to CHINA!!!!!!!!!!

:)

Let the Sun Shine!

Happy New Year!! And Groundhog day! And Chinese New Year (Rabbit) (tomorrow)!!!
I just realized that I haven't written in a bit over two months.  Oops.  Sorry.  I've been crazy busy.  Let's see.  Last post was late November.  Then I had this huge school project.  Then exams.  Then winter break, during which I had surgery.  Nothing major.  I'll be fine by April, so it doesn't interfere with my China plans at all.  So I've been pretty busy getting around on crutches for the past 6-ish weeks.  All my friends at school are great.  Although they steal my crutches all the time, they help me carry my backpack (which I can't imagine is a lot of fun...).  I also just finished stage managing for out winter one acts, which was fun, but pretty busy.  Musical is coming up (Footloose!), which I'm really excited about.  I had my scholarship interview a few weeks ago.  I think it went really well, but I won't know until March. *Sigh* That seems forever away (It's only like a month, but that's a long time!)  There's supposedly this crazy blizzard going on, but there's like no snow...  It's really icy, so we've had 2 snow days in a row (hence my blogging). I'm not particularly a wintery person, but oh well.  Over break, I made more stuff to sell.

 (above) this bracelet is 6 in.

 This bracelet is currently 5.5 in, but I can add a bit more to it

 This one is 5 in. but I can add more

 This one is 5 in. but I can add more

These are made of heavy duty paper covered in clear tape (packing tape).  They are quite sturdy (I made a folder like this in 7th grade, and I still use it in 10th grade).  It is wide enough to hold credit cards/gift cards/ids. This could be a change purse, a card holder, or a little pouch for whatever you need it for!

 This one has a matching wallet (see below)  If you get one, you have to get both.  I'm not making any more wallets because they take WAYYYY too long to make.

 (above) there are two pockets on the inside for credit cards/gift cards/id.

 I knitted these.  The yarn in quite warm.  These are for 3-6 months, I think...

Warm and fuzzy cuteness!!!

Pricing: The friendship bracelets (pictured above) are $3, the little pocket things are $4 (if you want the wallet and the matching pocket, it's $10), and the baby booties are $7

I'm also still making the crane earrings ($3) and the star bracelets ($5)

I also can make bracelets to order (pick the colors).  Maybe I'll get some more yarn if I ever get out to the craft store...

I get by with (a lot more than) a little help from my friends

I have the best friends.  Ever.  You probably can't top mine. 
Nope.
So for my best friend's 16th birthday, she secretly asked people to bring money to help pay for my China trip. 
Pretty freaking selfless, huh?
Awwwww I <3 my friends
so sweet
So I'm not totally sure, but I think I might have almost enough to send in my application!!!!
So, thank you so much.  I can't believe you did something so unexpected and sweet!
Tee hee hee
:)

It's just life, so keep dancing through...

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  We had family and friends over, which was kinda fun.  The food was SO good.  My stepmother made everything and did a fantastic job.
Today was pretty awesome.  My mom's friend had this craft sale today.  I didn't have a lot of bracelets to sell, but I sold them all!  I am now closer to my goal.  Right now, my application is all ready to go, except for the $900 application down payment.  I'm not totally sure, but I think I now have about half.  So I did pretty well today, but I still need to earn more.  I am taking orders.  Just comment on a blog post about what colors you want.  I make most of my paper, so I can do whatever colors you want.  These are great stocking stuffers!  I've also decided not to make more of the star earrings.  I'm just gonna stick with the star bracelets and the origami crane earrings.  Yup.  Please order stuff soon!  I have exams coming up, and I'd like to get the orders done before my finals.
I'm gonna make some new stuff and take some pictures sometime next week.
Happy Holidays!!!!

p.s. thanks so much to everyone who has ordered from me or helped me raise money in some way.  I really appreciate it, plus is means a lot.

<3

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly, I'll do what it takes til' I touch the sky

Hola!
So I'm really excited.
Last weekend, I submitted my application for a scholarship.  *Fingers crossed*  I really hope that I get it (it's a full scholarship).  It would make my life SO much easier.  The annoying thing is that I don't find out till March or April, and I have to make a big part of the payment in May, so I don't really have time in between those.  I don't want to raise all that money if I don't have to, but I don't want to be broke, and have to raise like $8000 in a month.  So my plan is to keep making jewelry, so if you could buy some, it would really be nice :)
I set up this awesome gadget (see right) that lets you directly pay me if you buy something (or if you are feeling really generous, and just feel like helping me...).  It keeps track of how much I need.  My goal right now is $5000.  I am almost done with my actual AFS application, but I don't think it's due till maybe January or February (I can't find the date on the website).  So I'm really trying to find ways to earn money.  Anyone need a babysitter?  I am really good at a lot of things.  I can organize stuff.
I'm also really excited because I got to see a teacher today that I haven't seen in a while, which made my day (seriously).  I also found out that sometime, another one of my teachers is going to help me learn some Chinese because she's almost fluent!  Yay for teachers!!
Please let me know if you have anything that I could do to earn a little money.
Love, Jaede

I should tell you...

I should tell you lots of things.
I could tell you that I love cats, gumball machines, rainbows, or thousands of other things.
But that's not really why I'm writing this.
I'm writing this because I should tell you that Grace F. is AMAZING!
She is helping me make the jewelry to sell.  She is fantastic!!!
She also keeps a jar at home of spare change for me.
How sweet is she?
Yeah.
Pretty awesome.
So, thank you so much, Grace!
I couldn't do this without you
<3