Home for the Holidays!

Since Kyle is deployed I went home for Christmas. It was a ton of fun (of course not as much fun as it could have been if Kyle would have been there) and it was great getting to see all of my family! Everyone was there this Christmas except for Kyle, Tristan, and Shelby (not too bad for all of us ha). I also got to meet one of the cutest babies EVER, my second nephew Chase. I had a blast with all my fam and I am so grateful that I was able to go home :)! I forgot my camera....but don't worry I stole some pics from Amy ha. Happy New Year everyone!


Me and baby Chase....he is soooo cute :)...


My mom, me and Chase!


Mom, Savannah, me and Chase.

Four Generations!

Me, Amy, Savannah, and Chase.

I love this pic ha!

The Flinko girls and Chase :)!

The whole Family...minus Kyle, Tristan, and Shelby!

Bedroom Furniture!!

So a couple of months ago Kyle and I found a bedroom set on Craigslist for $50!! We thought it would be fun to go ahead and buy it and then refinish it! Kyle has worked and worked on this furniture and he finished it just before he had to leave. It looks amazing :) So here are the before and after pics!!

Kyle only took a pic of the nightstand before he started sorry!

Here is the tall dresser in the back!

All three after he stripped and sanded!

Finished nightstand!

Finished tall dresser. (I don't know why it came out light in the pic..it is dark like the others..I guess it's the lighting ha) We still need to fix the bottom legs!

Finished long dresser.

And Amos got in the way but it was a really cute pic so I wanted to share ha!

I hope ya'll like it as much as I do! It looks perfect in our bedroom! Oh and I want your opinions on the knobs that we used. We had to use them because they no longer make handles in the size that we needed. I think the knobs give it a modern look :)!

Final Topic for Scrapbook/ English Assign# 11.

I am sticking to my first idea! I will start out with describing my childhood from a broken home and how I dreamed of something better maybe use a pic of a little girl playing house. The font here will be dark and the colors will also be drab to show saddness but there should also be something to show hope especially in the pic of playing house! I will then talk about my present and how I am married. My marriage is the first step in accomplishing my dream so I want to use warm colors to show happiness and use a fun font! For my future I see myself having children and giving them the childhood that I always wanted! They will be the proof of me rising above my broken home and changing the cycle. The colors used here will be bright and happy because I see my future as being very bright!

Scrapbook Idea/ English Assign# 10

For my scrapbook I am going to use my life events that have shaped who I am. I will describe my childhood and then describe major events from that point on in my life. I will then have future events that I would like to see happen. I am married now and I love it. So I am going to talk about (in a slideshow with power point) how I played house and then got older and met the man of my dreams and then married him. Then for the future part I see myself having a kid one day and becoming a mother as well as a wife. No longer am I playing house I am actually living it :). I came from a broken home and I think including that in my scrapbook will help with the argument that not all children from broken homes grow up to be the head of another broken home! My scrapbook will be about how I am overcoming my childhood and, the future that I dream of for my husband, myself, and our future children.

Oklahoma City Memorial/ English Assign#9

The Oklahoma City Memorial website was great. I have been to the memorial and the pictures used in the website were able to capture the sights of the memorial well. Although the mood was missing in the photos. What I remember most at the memorial was the mood it created. Everyone was so quiet and respectful. This was probably because of the way your heart ached for the people who were involved and lost their lives in that day. The memorial truly honored those who were involved in the Oklahoma City bombing and gave visitors the emotion of that day.
At the memorial there is a Field of Empty Chairs. These chairs were lined in 9 rows (representing the 9 floors) and had the names of the people who lost their lives that day. There were also nineteen smaller chairs that represented the children who were lost. These chairs were a symbol of rememberance. The people who lost their lives will always be remembered when someone sees these chairs and it seems that your heart aches for every chair that is there.
There is also a room that is not shown on the website that is full of Origami cranes hanging from the ceiling. These birds were sent from children all over the nation to symbolize hope. I remember making one of these cranes when I was in school to send to the survivors of the bombing so, it was very moving getting to see all of them. I hope that these cranes were able to bring a little comfort to the survivors and give them hope of a brighter tomorrow.

Family Photos/ English Assign#8

In the readings on pages 109-127 there were different stories from different people. These stories were of memories (mostly of family). There were pictures used so that the reader could get an image of the stories that were being told. The pictures used weren't necessarily of the event that the writers were talking about but they shared the same idea. The saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words" is so very true. Photography can be used as a composition because it tells a visual story. It can help fill in the holes that a narrative may leave out. I loved Jeffery Wolins pictures at the end of the reading. His pictures told the story not only in a visual way but in a narrative and emotional way as well!

The family picture I chose is a picture of me with my in-laws! This picture is one of the first family pictures taken since Kyle and I were married. This picture means a lot to me becuase it marks the beginning of me being apart of this family and their wonderful get togethers.

Our First Base House!

So we are finally all moved in to our new house on base! This house is amazing and we love it! It seems so big for just the two of us and Amos ha! It is a three bed two and a half bath and Amos now has a yard! Kyle is only two minutes from work and it is nice to get to have lunch with him everyday!! A bunch of you have asked for pictures so here are some but I would rather you all just come and visit us and see if for yourselves ;)!! We don't have furniture for all the rooms yet so I didn't really take pics of those!! Kyle is in the progress of re-doing some furniture for the bedroom and when he is finished I will post pics of the before and after! He is really doing a great job. Enjoy the pics :)!

The front of the house!




Entrance!


Half Bath

Living room

Dinning room

Kitchen

Upstairs guest rooms!

Laundry room

Bedroom

The best closet EVER!

Amos' Backyard :)!

Thesis/ English Assign# 7

I have been thinking a lot about what my argument for Blackboard as a discourse community will be. I decided to weigh out the pros and cons and then see where that leads me.

Pros:
I can do school anywhere.
School work is done on my time schedule.
I don't have to get up early for it ha.
I still get to be a wife ha.
I can be more of myself since no one is actually meeting me face to face.
I don't stress out as much as when I did when I was actually going to class and, Iam not as tired.


Cons:
I miss out on lectures that I feel are important.
Some teachers don't seem to take online classes seriously and don't respond to emails (Not you Jen).
Communication is delayed between peers and the teacher (waiting on emails or disscusions).

I feel I can talk about both the pros and cons and make my arguement.

Thesis:

Blackboard is a wonderful tool for students on the go but, patience is needed to successfully complete a class with it.

Technology Discourse Communities/ English Assign#6

I belong to a bunch of Technology Discourse Communities. My assignment is to list these and then pick one to be the subject of my next paper.

My Technology Discourse Communities:
Facebook
Myspace
Hotmail
Blogger
Photo Bucket
Online Banking
NMSU- Blackboard
Sprint (cell phone)
Comcast (cable & internet)
Sirius Radio

I think that I will go with NMSU-Blackboard. I can talk about how computers and the internet have helped schools grow and, give people like me the chance to go to school even though I am across the country. Blackboard has helped me communicate with teachers and peers and has allowed me to access to a degree.
I also like the idea of using Facebook. I am new to Facebook but it has allowed me to connect with family members and friends. It has become a useful tool in staying up to date with everyone while I am in NJ. I can see family pictures and status and never feel in the dark.

My main argument for either Facebook or Blackboard would be that these techonolgies have helped me stay apart of my school, family, and friends while I am in NJ. These technologies have been nothing but useful to me.

Discourse Communities/ English Assign# 5

For my assignment I am to list all the discourse communities that I belong to and then pick three to elaborate on.

My Discourse Communities.
Air Force Spouse
NMSU- Student
Aspiring Counselor
Church of Chirst- Christian
Dog Owner
SPC- Alumni
CHS- Alumni
Facebook
Myspace
Blogger :)

As an NMSU Student I am among a group of people who are all striving for a degree. We are constantly doing homework and studying to acheive this goal. We use language to encourage others to do what we are doing and help each other with misunderstandings in class. My commonplace with NMSU would be Blackboard since I am a NMSU online student.

As a Facebooker :) I am in a group that is full of my friends. We use language to communicate old memories and keep in touch with one another. In this group I get to pick who is apart of it and who will not be. Our commonplace would be www.facebook.com where we use pictures and profile status to express ourselves.

As an Air Force Spouse I am part of a group of women (and some men) who deal with their husbands/wives constantly fighting for our country. We use language to help eachother deal with common problems and keep others out who don't know what we are going through. Our commonplace would be any Military base.

NYC!

So yesterday I went to the city to visit the new married couple Matt and Joanie :)! It was a lot of fun. They didn't want to see a ton of sights which is great for me because I have seen them a million times lol!!
I took the train all by myself and met up with them at Borders by Madison Sq Garden. They wanted to see Times Square so we walked through there and then went to NBC studios :). The guide asked if we needed any help with anything and I said "yes how do I get on the Office?" thankfully he thought I was funny and laughed with me ha! We then went to the top of the Rock and saw just how pretty Central Park really is. We then went to lunch and headed up 5th Ave to FAO Shwartz (we did stop at Tiffany's on the way)!! FAO Shwartz had this thing where you could build your own muppet and of course Matt and Joanie took advantage. They made really cute muppets haha!! We then went to the Central Park Zoo yay!! I have been wanting to go there forever......but it was a major dissapointment haha. It was nothing like in Madagascar!!! There was no Lion or Zebr or Hippos or Giaraffs ugh!!! There was the cutest Seals and Penguins though!! The Penguins are great haha that is where I am going from now on if I need a laugh haha! We then took a cab back to their hotel and rested for a minute. By this time it was already 6:15pm so I needed to head back since it was rush hour. We said our goodbyes and I went back to Penn Station (after a stop at Starbucks of course ha) and caught the express train home yesssss!!!
I was soooo proud of myself for going to NYC alone. I only had to call Karen once to see what street Borders was on and that was for Joanie and Matt ha!! I was sad that I forgot my camera so I have no pics from the zoo :( or with Matt and Joanie! But I did post a few pics that I love from the city. I am going back this Saturday with a group from church so I will get some more then!! "Pray a lot" everyone!!!

Lady Liberty!


Me and the two men in my life!


The Hubby and I

:)

Love it!

Street Art! There are things like this all over the city.

Empire State Building.

Discourse Communites and Commonplaces/ English Assign #4

My assignment is to define Discourse Communites and Commonplaces.

A discourse community is a group of people who use communication to achieve certain goals and purposes. A discourse community can be a group of friends on an internet sight or a group of Airforce wives getting together when their husbands are deployed. People in these groups all share a common interest and choose to be there.

Commonplaces are places that have meaning and familarity to a group. This could be a group of people who are all associated because they are all alumni from the same University. It could also be the place that a group meets every Tuesday (ex: Ladies Ice Cream Tuesdays at Baskin Robins) Baskin Robins is the commonplace that these women meet for ice cream every Tuesday and discuss common interests.

Argumentative Appeals/ English Assign# 3

Defining argumentative appeals (Logos, Ethos, and Pathos).



1. The text defines Logos as the "logical argument; an appeal to reason". In other words this would be the reason why you should be interested in the product (or idea) the ad is selling. Logos is also the point of the ad. It is giving a good argument as to why you need this product (or idea). It also provides the color, text, dialog, and sound in the ad to get your attention.



2. The text defines Ethos as the "ethical argument; an appeal based on the rhetor's (ethical) character". In other words would it be ethical for you to spend a certain amount of money (or time and effort) on the product (or idea) the ad is selling.



3. The text defines Pathos as the "emotional argument; an appeal to the emotions of the audience". In other words how would buying (or agreeing with) the product (or idea) make you feel.



If I were to choose the Nissan Cube ad I would be able to use all three argumentitive appeals. The Logos of this ad would be- do I (the audience) need this car and why would I need this car. I would explain in detail how the ad touches on this with the use of the people in the ad, and how they behave because they have the Nissan Cube. I would also talk about how the song in the ad grabs the audience's attention. The Ethos would be - should I spend the money needed to buy this Nissan Cube and if I do would it benefit me and the company selling (Nissan) in a positive way. The Pathos would be- how would I feel if I were to buy the Cube. The ad plays on all three of these on the use of music, slogan, actors, and vision.



If I were to choose the "Super Freak" Visa ad I would only be able to use two argumentative appeals. The ad mostly uses Logos and Pathos. The ad uses Logos by getting your attention by the singing and dancing. Then by using Pathos the ad is all about showing how people are nothing but happy because they use Visa. The people are singing and dancing and they make it seem that if you (the audience) were to use Visa you would be happy enough to sing and dance too.



(Links to both ads are in the post below this one, "English Assign#2 Corrected")

English Assign#2 Correction

So I was asked to find a multimodal ad (a commercial) not a poster ad oops :)! So here are two commercials that I found on You Tube that I think would be good to write about.

The first one is a recent commercial for the Nissan Cube. I like how different the commercial is and the slogan it uses "Cube- a Mobile Device". The commercial is using the car like it's an app and a vehicle. It has a very futuristic meaning and a ton of neat computer type words to explain the car. I like how the commercial is screaming to the cyber generation. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOueYfrrSjw

The second one I am thinking of writing about is the "Super Freak" Visa commercial. I really like this commercial because it is fun and the people in it are also singing the music. It shows lots of different people from different places sharing a common happiness with Visa. I like how this commerical uses a good mood to get the message across. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8lIRdKrus0

Article Choice/ English Assign#2

For my second assignment I have been asked to pick two picture ads to think about using for my first essay. I have decided to maybe use an ad for Ipod. I picked this ad because the colors grabbed my attention immediately. I also loved the play on words in the slogan "feel the sound". I have put a picture up of the ad but it can be found at,

http://www.photoshopstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/advertisement_poster_33.jpg

I also liked a vintage ad about VD in WWII. This one grabbed my attention because of all the metephors used like the gun (loaded). This poster has a lot to say and I am sure I can write a lot about it. It is colorful with a colorful message ;)!! This ad can be found at, http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/2007/09/vintage-vd-post.html

Victory Waits on Your Fingers/ English Assign#1

After reading chapter 2 I was assigned to pick a poster and describe the meaning of the visuals in the poster. The poster I chose from the Gallery of WWII poster art is "Victory Waits on Your Fingers". The poster comes from part 1 under the "It's a Woman's War Too" link.

When I look at the picture I am immediately drawn to the patriotic colors. All the red, white, and blue make me think of America, my country.Imagining that I live in the time this poster was put up I become the audience, which is a woman living in America during WWII. I am then drawn to the woman in the picture and the placement of her hand which is a military salute. So I know that this picture has something to do with women in the U.S. Military just by observing the colors and the position of the image (Miss U.S.A.).

After looking at the colors and the woman in the poster I am then drawn to the text. The style of the text is bold black and red letters which makes what it's saying important. The arrangement of the text is excellent, it cuts to the chase in the first line and encourages you in the second line. It doesn't scare you into action but pursuades you. The text then delivers the information you would need should you want to take further action because of the poster.

This poster was an advertisment for women to work as a type writer in the U.S. Military while the troops were at war. It shows a woman working at a type writer performing her duty to her country without getting her hands dirty. After observing the poster I (the audience, assuming that I lived at the time of distribution) would remember her smile and the simplicity of her job. I would be able to do that and do something great for my country. The poster is arranged well and the style of the text and photo is very memorable.

Welcome

Welcome all to my very first blog. I am doing this as an assignment but I think that it is going to be a lot of fun. I am still trying to figure out how to set up everything so any tips would help ha! I named my blog Wife in Jersey since we are stationed in New Jersey for the time being and I am a newlywed (we have been married a year now but things are still new ha). My husband is in the Air Force and I am super proud of him :)! I am just going to school right now and being a crazy housewife. My days consist of school, cleaning, playing with the dog and watching soap net ha (if only I like bon-bons lol)... I will be posting not only assignments for English class but also my lil adventures that I encounter being a "Wife in Jersey". I hope you all have a blessed day :)...