Holiday Creation

International Colour Your City Day – August 2^nd 

• 1. Every year on August 2^nd we celebrate the colours, art, and light of the world. It is held to honor the artists and to brighten everyone’s day. It was originally created by  Shadie Von Coloure, who was a passionate art advocate. He resided in San Francisco and was the person who fought to have the Golden Gate Bridge painted bright Red. He was an artist and loved colours, he always wore the most colourful clothing from around the world. He created a tradition that every year on August 2^nd he would go into the world determine to brighten it and spread happiness. He would paint the Capital buildings in rainbow colours and even though the colours washed away we honor his desire even now 77 years later.

• 2. Colour Your City Day is when everyone around the world celebrates the shades of the earth. The most famous tradition is that all the towns people gather to paint the cities hall or parliament building. Free cans of washable paint are handed out to those gathered and the painting begins at sunrise throughout the day. The buildings stay painted until the next rainfall.   This honors Shadie Von Coloure and his original idea to brighten lives by colourful buildings. The painting usually ends in a paint war between all, and has become one of the major events of the holiday. Another tradition is that all the local city artists set up a display a long a main city street to showcase their work. This brings in income to the artists and galleries around the city. On this day people are encouraged to wear the most colourful clothing they own. Some times people get very detailed and make costumes that look like works of art themselves.  There is a colour parade that travels around the city with the  brightest coloured, craziest patterned, and most creative idea floats you have ever seen. There is a 6ft x 400ft long banner that is painted by 400 different artists that have been chosen by the Cities Art Organizations. This is a very large honor to be chosen to have your artwork represented on the Shadie Von Coloure Banner. These banners are kept and placed in the city annually as a reminder of the importance of colour in life.

• 3. Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday. It is my favorite holiday because of the warmth in the cold winter season. Seeing family and friends, the beautiful lights, and the love that God has for us sending us his son warms my heart. That is the real reason Christmas started, celebrating Christ's birth because God sent his son to live on earth like us, and then take our place of suffering to save us. 
• I think that Christmas has lost it’s original meaning because its been so “decorated” by society. All the Christmas trees, presents, and events have totally overcome the real celebration. This makes me feel sad because now people just look at Christmas as a stressful event, and thats not it at all.  Its a way for retails to make money and creates the image that its all about the stuff we need not what has been given to us through Christ. I don’t know how the real meaning can be brought back unless more people become Christians because right now its a holiday everyone has adapted. Not just Christians celebrate Christmas. I think if the big image and advertisements actually turned back to focusing on Christ then people might remember the real reason for the season. 
• My family always celebrates by having family and friends over for a large dinner. We also go and get a tree and decorate it as a family. We attend a Christmas Eve service and read the Christmas story before opening gifts on Christmas Day.

Short Story Overview

Conflict	Theme	Characters	Setting	Plot
Person verses Situation or Circumstance Person verses Person Emma is stuck  in her small town  but she wants to travel and become a music artist. Emma is going to overcome the people against her dreams.	The theme of this story is to follow your dreams and never give up, no matter who or what is against you.  Figurative language is  “Listen to your heart” “Believe in yourself”	Emma – Protagonist 18 years old,  Tall, Thin, Brown hair, Deep blue eyes. Passionate about music, Determined, Brave about fallowing her dreams. Emma’s mom- Antagonist   Tess- Grayish Blonde hair, Tall, Sparkling green eyes. Very protective, Scared of letting go, Defensive. Doesn’t want her daughter to leave, she is against her perusing dreams.	Small town, Hana, Hawaii  Throughout a couple of months.  Summer Mood: Aspiring,  Wishful	Emma is a girl who has grown up in the same beach town (Hana, Hawaii) her whole life Initial action: She wants to go experience different things and leave her town to become an artist  Rising action: Her mother and friends want her to stay there and enjoy a life in Hawaii Climax: She refuses and says she is going to follow her dream and go to Nashville Falling action: She gets on a plane and fallows her dream and her heart Resolution: Her mother ends up coming there and realizes how talented her daughter is, and that she deserves to be there.

Introduction to story

Sight	Sounds	Taste	Feeling	Touch	Smell
Lights Clouds Dust Reflections Red smoke Solid dirt ground	Soft voice calling Chimes blowing in the wind Rushing wind blowing around	Dusty Dry	Dry Dirty Alone Scared Anxious	Dry Cool Brisk wind	Like a summer day Sunny with a chance of rain

Was it here? Would this eternal search finally be over? I had been through a lot. As a kicked at the reddish brown dust I was standing on, I thought about the last few years of my life. I was internally broken, left alone, depending on everything that was killing me from deep down the inside. I raise my head, straining my eyes to the bright light that had formed above. The wind rushed around me. Chills traveled up and down my spine, as the brisk breeze stung my cheeks. I put my hands in my pockets and tried to convince myself that all that had happened the past years was gone. My supposedly calming thoughts did just the opposite. My whole heart felt like an open wound just waiting for someone who cared enough to heal it. The next moment dragged on for elapsing moments. The howling, chilling wind stopped. I realized I hadn’t been breathing properly and weakly gasped for the cool air. I was ready to let go. Suddenly the sky turned a dark eerie red. I lifted my arms and cried out to who I knew would find me. “I’m sorry! Forgive me!” That light that had been above me before returned and the darkness fled from the sky. It felt as if internal chains broke in side me as again I squinted to lift my eyes to the light. Everything was quiet. Briefly I heard the peaceful sound of what seemed like wind chimes, followed by a voice whisper “You are free, my child.”

MOOD:  Alone, Desperate, Needing Hope

Scariest Dream

Personally I love dreams and I’m disappointed if I don’t remember my dream when I wake up the next morning. Most dreams are very pleasant and sometimes they give insights on life. But contrasting those beautiful vivid happy dreams I usually have, I do have some frightening dreams.   Around 2 years ago I had my most terrifying dream. The dream began seeing myself running away from something. My dream was dark, the sun was setting and it took place in a location I’d never seen before.  I don’t remember much detail but I keep running. Then what I was running from finally came into view.  I don’t know how I knew but it became clear to me that I was running away from the devil. He was a man, with a bald head, and a goatee. His eyes were the most disturbing part of him. I continued running and running until I ran up a wooden tower. The tower was very high but it didn’t take me long to get up. The man fallowed me up the tower and pushed me to the edge with no fence. It was there that I was forced to look into his eyes. I have never felt so scared as in that moment. The devil made it clear to me he wanted to kill me. He moved forward and that’s when I thankfully woke up.  I think this dream in some way shows how the devil wants to get all of us away from the safety of God.  Most dreams I forget but this rare one has stayed clear in my mind.

Keepsake Items

Keepsake Items :

A favorite memory of mine – Camera necklace 

Something that is very important to me now – Rainbow Bear

Hope and Dream for my future – Wooden Giraffe

Keepsake Paragraphs: 

Memory :  

My 15^th birthday was one I will never ever forget. I honestly believe I felt every single emotion possible on that day. That evening our youth from our church had planned to help at the Inner City Youth Alive in the North end. I was very excited because I love hanging out with kids and encouraging them. I was wearing my camera necklace that day and I quickly found out that it was very popular with all the little girls. Every time a girl would come sit on my lap she would make some comment about the camera and usually pretend it was real. I would smile for the tiny camera on my necklace every time they happily said “say cheese!”  The evening was almost over when they made an announcement that there was a very severe thunderstorm warning. We raced into action and quickly got all the kids out the door. I wasn’t at all expecting that we would be walking the kids home...in the North end...in the dark...with a thunderstorm waring. But I couldn’t turn back now, I was already half way down the street. When we were just about to go up to the last house it thundered loud. The kids were almost as scared as me at that point. Just as the last girl had walked in her doorway it poured! All I remember from that point was running full speed, soaked to the bone, through the city. The streetlights reflected on the shiny roads all the way back to the youth center. Now every time I wear the camera necklace I have images of my 15th birthday play back in my head. I’ll never forget it. 

Something Important : 

Everyone has a teddy bear, one that comforts you when your little, and embarrasses you as you grow up even though you love it just as much as you used to, when you first got it. Well, for me that teddy bear was Rainbow Bear. Not a very creative name I know, but I received this teddy bear when I was four from my great aunt. Back then she was a soft and colorful teddy with a pink ribbon around her neck. Now my bear is not as soft as she used to be, her nose is almost rubbed off, and the ribbon is more like threads. Rainbow Bear has been a comfort to me for almost 12 years. I remember having birthday parties and treating her like my best friend. Rainbow Bear has also traveled with me everywhere I’ve ever been. Including Florida, Hawaii, and numerous friends sleepovers. Even though I’m 15 now I still keep my teddy bear close. I’ve connected many memories and feelings to that special bear full of fluff. Rainbow Bear has always had a place in my heart even though it’s a stuff animal which once had a price tag to me that bear is priceless. 

Hope and or dream of the future:

I have always loved Giraffes and Africa. The image of the joyful people and the warm savannas alive with wild animals urges me to visit there one day. One of my dreams is to go on an African safari and to do some sort of mission in Africa. The Giraffe that is in the photo is from Kenya, Africa and was hand carved and painted by a person living there. This item to me reminds me of my admiration of other places, love of giraffes, and passion to help those in need. I know of many experiences where people have gone to Africa to help or teach and amazing things have been done. I enjoy teaching and helping kids in my life now whenever I can so I would love to bless others in that way if possible in Africa. The giraffe to me is also a beautiful work of art and the culture of Africa which I would love to someday experience.

Persuasive Paragraph

Why on earth would you settle for someone else’s ideas when you have your own! Everyone has different styles and their own sense of creativity, and it’s always been said “be different” and show your “individuality!” I agree, that’s exactly why when you make the choice to move into a house it’s always better to design  your own rather than buy someone else’s.  This way you can select exactly what you want, you don’t have to settle for anything less. It may be more expensive but you will be so much happier in the long run living in a place that you truly enjoy, rather than just accepting and buying a house how it is.  Another incentive is that when you are designing your house you can make sure it’s done right, all the way from the pouring of the concrete to the final details.  This saves you from recognizing two years after you bought a house, that the inside of the walls are rotting away. So design your own house, you will get what you want, live in it satisfied and have the peace of knowing the roof won’t collapse on your head.

Sara's Bucket List

• Fall in love & get married (have a family)
• Live somewhere else in the world for more then one year
• Paint a portrait of myself
• Learn to surf
• Skydrive
• Scuba-dive
• Make a full length movie
• Travel Europe
• Go on a missions trip
• Design the inside & outside of my future house
• See penguins in Antarctica
• See Giraffes in Africa
• Hike in a jungle in Hawaii and swim under a waterfall
• Go parasailing
• Be a bridesmaid
• Be 6ft tall (or taller then matt)
• To be able to look back at my life through journals
• Eat a big-mac
• Take over 2 million pictures
• Read the whole Bible
• Travel all around the world
• Save a life