brighter than the sun

we could be the stars falling from the sky, shining how we want 🌸🌿🌸🌿 anastasia lynn beiste.home ec teacher at ashford jr/sr high school.

[mackfabray]

It's been a long time coming, honestly. I thought I'd get it out last year but things changed and with it the poetry I wanted to put into it. I haven't decided. I typically do readings, but the last three times I was living on the road so it was easier to plan, no job to work around, y'know?

I can see how that would be hard, but I feel like, at the end of the day, they're going to on and use those skills for years, if not the rest of their life. And I think that's pretty fucking cool.

[anastasiabeiste]

A poetry book is such a cool thing to finish — I’d love to hear more about it whenever you feel like sharing. Do you have a favorite piece in it, or is that like asking a parent to pick a favorite child? And if you do end up doing a reading, I’d be really interested in going.

That’s such a beautiful way to look at it — thank you for saying that. It really helps. I officially said goodbye to them a few days ago and I’ve been a bit of a mess about it ever since. But you’re right… knowing they’re going to keep cooking and maybe even remember some of the things we made together makes it feel worth it.

[djdomberry]

Well, would you look at that? You just happened upon a guy that's free as a damn bird next week and can totally donate his time to sampling some sweet treats. You're welcome, Ana.

[anastasiabeiste]

I’m really glad you came by! Having everyone visit the class made the last little project way more fun. I ended up sending leftovers of the cookies home with people, and I just so happened saved a couple just in case you wanted a takeaway! And again, thank you for being one of the brave souls who showed up. How has your summer been so far? Anything fun at the station?

[camille-diane]

Honestly, anyone who turns a school garden into lemon-lavender shortbread cookies deserves an audience.

I can't promise sophisticated feedback, but I can absolutely promise enthusiasm and a willingness to eat multiple samples in the name of science.

[anastasiabeiste]

To be fair, the lavender garden was started as a lesson, showing the kids how they can be a little more self-sustaining by growing some of the smaller ingredients themselves. Like green onions and such, you know? And all of the feedback really helped the kids learn, so there's no need to feel inadequate, really! I'm glad you could make it, too. The kids really seemed to enjoy the project, it was a great end to the year.

[stellaschue]

I keep seeing lavender in food and drinks and stuff, but have never quite been able to bring myself to try anything with it. Does it taste like flowers? You can be honest, and maybe I can be brave.

[anastasiabeiste]

It honestly depends on who makes it! If it's done right, it's just this really lovely, subtle, earthy sweetness. But if it's done wrong, or if they use too much... yes, it absolutely tastes like you just took a big sip of Bath & Body Works hand soap. But don't go straight for a full lavender latte! Start with something mixed. Personally, I like lavender with lemon but it can also go with vanilla or honey to sweeten it up a bit. The tartness of the lemon or the warmth of the honey completely cuts through those heavy floral notes so it doesn't feel like you're eating a perfume bottle.

[hadleyberry]

I'm so torn on this new Toy Story movie that's coming out, you know I really think that the 3rd movie wrapped things up so nicely and the 4th one had promise, but then they messed it up with where they took Woody's story. I've honestly disliked it so much, I usually refuse to even acknowledge it in its entirety. But the more I see about this 5th movie, I can't help thinking it could potentially redeem the 4th one and so I'm trying to decide if I want to see it in theaters when it opens. But I don't want to waste money if I don't end up liking it, you know?

[anastasiabeiste]

Toy Story 3 was the absolute perfect, tear-jerking masterpiece of an ending. Personally, I don't completely hate the fourth one, but I totally get why you do—they really did throw Woody’s entire 'leave no toy behind' personality out the window at the end there. But I have this tiny glimmer of hope that they’re going to fix his storyline and give the franchise the actual redemption it deserves. I completely get not wanting to waste movie ticket money if it's just going to be a disappointment, though. If you're still on the fence, Teddy and I actually already made plans to drive out to Allentown to see it the weekend after it opens. If you don't mind holding off until then, I can be your guinea pig and tell you what I thought? Or just ask Teddy after opening weekend!

[dariarutherford]

Ooh girl, you know you may have just given me an idea for some new flavors for treats at the cafe. I know I've seen places like Starbucks doing the lavender with their coffees and refreshers, but I hadn't thought of putting it with baked goods. Do you happen to know of any recipes that puts that combination into muffins or cakes? If not, I can totally just head to google or pinterest. Also, I volunteer as tribute for some taste-testing!

[anastasiabeiste]

Oh, you absolutely have to try it! It's the perfect mix of refreshing and sweet -- in my opinion anyway. But I actually have a recipe for a lemon-lavender loaf cake that hits the perfect balance without tasting like soap, which is always the biggest risk with floral flavors! I'll happily make a copy for you next time I see you! And seriously, thank you again for volunteering to taste-test the kids' final project! I think having a professional's opinion really helped some of them with their confidence in the kitchen.

[lucyquinnfabs]

Oh my daughter goes to Little Wonders, all the teachers there have been so nice so far. However, I don't blame you for moving up to high school. I can only imagine how stressful it is taking care of that many babies at once. I can barely handle all the kids during storytime at the library. Oh yea, she's a social butterfly and will give you all the hugs and smiles right away. Totally opposite of how I was as a little kid, but I'm happy about that.

[anastasiabeiste]

They have such a fantastic program over there, so Beth is definitely in great hands. I love that she's a little social butterfly. There is nothing better than a kid who just radiates joy, even if it leaves you wondering where they inherited all that extrovert energy from! I really hope she enjoyed coming into class this week! The kids seemed to really like their little food critic's visit. I think it was the perfect way to end the semester.

[lucyquinnfabs]

Trust me she will be honest. She doesn't talk much yet, but if she spits it out and hands it back to me we know that it needs adjusting. I have hope though because I haven't found a cookie that Beth doesn't love. I'm happy to bring her by and act as a taster myself. What age did you use to teach?

[anastasiabeiste]

Before I transitioned to high school home ec, I did daycare and preschool at Little Wonders. I just adored that age group so much. They're so incredibly creative and curious, and they look at everything like it’s magic. I do miss the constant hugs and the storytimes, so I am just going to absolutely soak up having her visit the classroom next week!

[lucyquinnfabs]

Wow that sounds so good. I volunteer! I'm always happy to taste test some treats. If you want a truly honest opinion, I can bring my one-year-old too. She will definitely let you know if she likes a cookie or not.

[anastasiabeiste]

Oh, please do bring your little one! There is nothing better or more honest than a toddler's reaction to dessert—if it gets thrown on the floor, I’ll know I need to adjust the recipe! I would just absolutely love to have her there, honestly. I just moved up to teaching older kids this year so I still miss my days working with the littles so much, there’s just a special kind of magic in that age.

[anastasiabeiste]

I recently planted lavender in my little garden at school and it's finally starting to bloom! The scent is just heavenly, and now I'm thinking about baking a batch of lemon-lavender shortbread cookies as one of our last class projects. I'm hoping to find a few brave, wonderful souls to be our official taste-testing guests next week... Would anyone happen to have some extra time and an appetite for something sweet?

[mackfabray]

Gods, this weather has been killing me lately. Feel like my entire back just wants me to lay down and not get back up. Need this rain to fuck all the way off.

In other news, it's given me a lot of time to write, so I can't entirely complain, this book of poetry might actually be close enough to being done to be out by the end of the year.

How is everyone else doing?

[anastasiabeiste]

That’s very exciting news about your poetry book!! Getting close to being done is such a big deal -- do you think you’ll do any kind of release party or reading when it’s finished?

I’ve been gearing up for the end of the school year and it’s honestly hitting me harder than I thought it would. It’s been such a special year watching my class go from nervous little kitchen newbies to actually being excited about cooking. My heart is not ready to say goodbye to them.

[teddyrhodesx]

Exactly, plus I feel like my own opinion would be pretty similar to yours as well, though even if I saw something I completely disliked that you wanted to see, I'd still encourage you to see it for yourself. Though, I assume we'd likely be going to movies that we both want to see together for the first watch either way. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that's one of the busier weekends, since it comes out once the kids are out of school, but I'm sure I could take one of the days off or at least a night and we could make a date night of it. Probably best to aim for Allentown, a 20 minute drive would be much more feasible than the hour it takes to get to Philly. Though if you'd want to see another movie in Philly sometime, we can definitely arrange that!

[anastasiabeiste]

Oh, we really don’t have to go opening weekend at all if it’s going to be crazy busy for you! I know how hectic it gets at the theater once the kids are out of school. We can totally wait until the following weekend or whenever things calm down a bit. I just want us to have a nice, relaxed time together, not add any extra stress to your plate. Allentown is perfect — but I’m definitely holding you to that future Philly movie date. We’ll make a whole little day of it whenever you’re free.

[teddyrhodesx]

Honestly, probably more the second one. There’s definitely been a few movies where I thought people were going to love it, and then the actual audience reaction ended up being way more mixed than I expected. I think part of it is that every genre has its own audience, so sometimes a movie really clicks with the exact people it was made for and then other times, even the audience that was excited for it ends up disappointed by how it turned out or expected something completely different going in. I do think that if someone wants to see a movie bad enough and the critics are trashing it, they should still just go see it and judge it for themselves. There are plenty of movies I’ve seen get rough reviews at first that ended up doing really well once regular people actually got to see them.

[anastasiabeiste]

That’s why I trust your vibe checks more than a professional review. You’re actually seeing how regular people react in the moment—if they’re laughing or if they’re actually engaged—rather than just picking apart the technical stuff. It’s way more helpful to know if the target audience actually liked it than to read a super nitpicky critique about how the lighting was slightly off in the second act. Speaking of work though, are you planning on taking a day off for the Toy Story 5 premiere? I know it's still a ways off, about a month I think? But I thought it'd be fun to make a day of it, maybe go to Allentown or Philly and see it in one of those theaters?

[anastasiabeiste]

Jam - favorite thing to bake?

I think my favorite thing to bake is cinnamon rolls. There’s just something so comforting about them — the way the dough feels under my hands, the sweet smell of cinnamon filling the whole house… It feels like wrapping everyone in a warm hug. They’re a little messy, but worth every bit of effort.

[anastasiabeiste]

Apples - favorite fruit?

Peaches, definitely. They’re just so sweet and delicate, like a little piece of summer you can hold in your hands. I could eat them every day, especially in a nice cobbler or fresh with a little honey.

[teddyrhodesx]

I mean, you’re not totally wrong there. I kind of do end up watching the aftermath almost as much as the movie itself sometimes. And yeah, you definitely start to notice patterns after a while. It probably helps that I usually get to screen most of them ahead of time, so I’ve got a pretty good idea of what kind of reaction a movie’s going to pull before it even hits the weekend crowd. By the time people are walking out, it’s kind of like, “yep, there it is,” or occasionally being surprised when it lands a little differently than I expected. Comedies are the easiest to read, horror too, just in a different way. But the ones like Hoppers, where it’s not exactly what people thought they were signing up for, those are always the most interesting to watch play out. Honestly, reviews aren’t even always safe anymore. You might be better off just asking me. I can give you the spoiler-free version so you at least know the vibe going in.

[anastasiabeiste]

On the ones you were surprised by, was it like you screened something and thought it was going to be a total disaster, only for people to walk out absolutely raving about it? Or was it the opposite, where you thought a movie was a masterpiece but the weekend crowd just didn't get it? I feel like there’s always that one weird outlier that defies all the logic, so it honestly doesn't shock me that sometimes the reaction isn't what you thought it'd be. Even critics seem to get it wrong sometimes. There have been so many movies where I've seen terrible reviews from them, but the general audience loved it.

[ashfordvalleymemes]

🌸🌼🌻Spring Asks🌻🌼🌸

please remember to send some out to others if you reblog! (credit)

April - what’s your favorite time of the year?

Apples - favorite fruit?

Bees - what’s your go to spring outfit?

Blossom - what’s your favorite flower?

Bubbles - do you like bubble tea?

Changes - what signals the changing of the seasons to you? 

Collegiate - did you go to or are you going to university? what are you or did you study?

Comfort - who is your go to comfort character?

Cream - do you wear make-up?

Crush - any irl or celeb crushes?

Daffodil -  do you like to garden?

Daisy - do you have any pets? If not, do you want any?

Exciting - ideal type of unplanned adventure?

Favorites - what’s your favorite show, movie, and book?

Flowers - what’s the nicest thing someone has surprised you with?

Fun Facts - what’s something people would never guess about you?

Grass - do you get hayfever or spring allergies?

Hobby - what hobbies do you have or want to get into?

Holiday - favorite springtime holiday?

Introspective - what’s one thing you would have done differently in your life?

Jam - favorite thing to bake?

Kite - favorite outdoor activity when it's warm?

Lemons - what’s your favorite type of dessert?

Light - night owl or early bird?

Love - what’s your love language?

Matcha - what’s your go to coffee/tea order this time of year?

Meadow - do you prefer the beach or the woods?

Money - what would you do with your life if money was no object?

Music - what’s been on repeat lately?

New - what would you do if you won the lottery?

Ocean - what’s your favorite sea creature?

Past - what advice or wisdom would you bestow on your younger self?

Picnic - describe your ideal spring afternoon.

Pride  - what is something you’re proud of?

Quaint - do you prefer the city, countryside, or suburbs?

Rain - what’s your favorite type of spring weather?

Recommendations - do you have any book/tv show/movie/music recs?

Sage - what life advice would you give to someone younger?

Stars - are you into astrology? If so, what are your sun, moon, and rising signs?

Striking - what’s your favorite color?

Status - what’s your relationship status?

Thrill - what is one thing you’re looking forward to?

Touch - do you like hugs?

Travel - if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Universe - do you think there’s other life out there or are we alone in the universe?

Vernacular - what language do you wish you could speak or want to learn?

Warning - what would your warning label say?

You - what’s one thing you like about yourself? One thing you dislike about yourself?

Youth - do you feel your age?

Zoo - what’s your favorite animal?

[anastasiabeiste]

@anastasiabeiste @jacksonrose @mercedesjonesx @gabrielcohen-chang @charlierhodes @brodywestonx @riverjacksonx