Sunrise on a Dome

Myself and Courtney

Last night, one of my nearest and dearest friends,  Courtney, and I hiked up one of central California's best kept secrets: Fresno Dome. We hiked up with our sleeping bags, pillows, bananas and chocolate bars and watched the sun set oh so magnificently over the tree tops.

Shortly after, we made a small fire and watched the stars appear. We didn't say much, I mean, in the midst of all that beauty...what is there to say? More so, there is just time to marvel and reflect in the presence of a good friend.

Around 10 o'clock, two more near and dear showed up: Dillon and Alex. The marveling stopped and the party began as there was much feasting upon baked goods and pizza that Alex had brought up. This was followed by discussion and drifting off to sleep to the sound of wind drafts coming up from the valley and over the dome.

5:45

5:45 hit and it was time to wake up. The sun was rising, children! Nothing gets me more excited for a sunrise, so I woke everyone up...much to their dismay.








However, they all enjoyed it in the end. Each on of us chose a spot on that glorious rock and sat and marveled once more in silence. Fresno Dome is perfect. It's an hour from Oakhurst, it's mostly left alone and you have a 360 view of lush green pines on the top. It really is magnificent and breathtaking and inspiring.

 Dillon, Me, Courtney, Alex

6:15, the sun rose up over the tree tops and clouds and the day began.

Summer's Ending: Let's destroy a t-shirt

So, all summer I worked at a summer camp called Calvin Crest.
I was in the kitchen, working amongst some of the best souls on the planet, cooking over an open fire for a more hardcore camp session for Jr. Highers called Outpost, getting burned on stove tops and cooking gluten free vegetarian meals day by day. Not to mention, cleaning out the "chicken sink" drain, getting 10 gallon igloos stuck in the dishwasher, baking pies and cakes late at night for the hell of it and stacking milk crates three high to reach that certain something on the top shelf. I survived week five is all I have to say: 10 kitchen staff and 8,000 meals in one week. Yes, it happened. Besides being the best possible way I could spend my summer, I did eventually come home after it all and, let's face it, after 2 days of catching up on sleep, I was ready to go do something again. This is the product. T-shirt destruction day.
Like most good ideas, this one came to me while showering. I was thinking about my stack of t-shirts I love but that are way to big for my 4'9" frame. Smalls are larges, especially when it comes to those club shirts and team shirts that you purchase online for 10 dollars apiece. It was time to actually do something about them.
I decided upon a thrift store shirt; no love lost if this turns out looking like crap.
To being, I had to find my sewing machine...which was nowhere to be found in the room I share with my sister. Like most families, when I leave, my room will no longer become mine, and in the 9 weeks I was gone working, this became true and the all engulfing question of "where the hell is Sophie!?!" took hold.
She was found stashed in the back hall. Of course...without the power cord...which was found in a box in the back hall.
So sewing machine and all its parts? Check.
Now for the t-shirt.
I haven't done this before...but it actually turned out ok.
Ok so first, we have the thrift store shirt that didn't fit...it's too baggy and nasty. But...it has potential! So, here I am wearing it...in all this picture's blurry glory and it's huge on me, right? Right. Gotta fix that.

So, I guesstimate how much I want off by pinching fabric on both sides and seeing about how many inches I want taken off. Of course, you can't pinch both sides and take a picture so...this is basically as good as it get for that.

pinnin'

sewin'

Then, I got myself a measuring tape and measured the distance between the end of my thumb to the nook of it, since that was about how much I wanted off. I know...I'm so measuring pro and precise... Anyways, after that....it was time to draw and pin! So, I drew around the seam of the shirt a one and a half inch away from seam line, because that's how long my thumb is. After the drawing and pinning, it was time to sew!The fun and easy part. Literally, it took like 30 seconds to sew each side.

cuttin'

 After trying it on and being satisfied, I cut the extra fabric out and one two three....a better fitting shirt!