Farewell, 2016!

Saturday, December 31, 2016


Hello, loves! 

How are you all doing? How were your Christmases? My Christmas was absolutely wonderful- full of family and way too much food and gift exchanges and fun. Christmas is my favorite day of the entire year, and I already miss it! It's been a really great few days, though. I love the days after Christmas. We've been chilling out at home, playing games, relaxing, drawing, and going over to my grandparent's house to stuff ourselves with leftovers. I also met up with a couple of friends, and it was super nice to have a chance to catch up with them. Christmas break is just the best, isn't it? 

-----

The fact that in a matter of hours it will be 2017 freaks me out to no end. I know that the Internet has kind of blown up lately with posts and tweets about how horrible 2016 was. 

But honestly?

2016 was a good year for me.

That's not to say that it was all sunshine and rainbows. It wasn't, not by far. Some really rough things happened. Circumstances weren't always fun, and I lost people, in several senses of the word. I know the world has been in a rough place as well. People have passed away, things have happened that we may not have wanted to happen. But I don't think that that means that this has been "the worst year of all time". It hasn't been. And frankly, considering the fact that there have been years where the entire world was at war, or we've faced things like 9/11, the fact that people are saying 2016 was the worst? It seems kind of silly. 

Sorry. Rant over.

Anyways, despite the rough moments, 2016 was filled with some really, really great moments. It was filled with new experiences, and deeper relationships, and laughter. I've been really, really happy. So I have to admit, I'm going to miss 2016, I really am. It's been a good one. ♥

-----

A Year In Review

  • I got to see one of my favorite musicals, Newsies
  • Going back to ballet, and finally doing pointe!
  • Being in my first musical in a few years
  • The Waffle vs. Pancake war took place, and it was the most amazing thing ever. I gained the most amazing group of blogger friends through that war, and I could not be more thankful for them and their amazing friendship. 
  • Going to Disney
  • Dance captaining my first show
  • Celebrated two years of blogging
  • Finally learning how to wing eyeliner
  • Hamilton took over, and I could not be happier about it
  • I completed NaNo, writing 51K in the month of November
  • I turned SIXTEEN. I feel so old
  • Anastasia finally became a musical
  • Freckled Minds was formed, and I couldn't be more thankful to be involved
  • I learned that I'm dance captaining the high school musical this year!
  • I'm helping to assistant choreograph the middle school show and couldn't be more excited
  • I redid my room, and I LOVE it
  • Started writing snail mail to a few close blog friends- it's so fun!
  • This blog hit 100 followers and I almost cried of joy
  • Coffee became a part of my life and I am so thankful
  • Became the student body VP?!?!? Still can't get over that
  • Landed my first ever role in a musical
  • Learned how to make the most amazing puffed French toast in the world
  • Vaguely learned some coding for blog-related endeavors
  • Redid my blog with the help of the lovely Vanessa Best!
  • Somehow survived the PSAT and didn't utterly fail it

To be frank, 2017 somewhat scares me. Thinking about it is a bit overwhelming. My best friend is graduating this spring. I'm going to be seventeen this year, and starting my senior year. That honestly scares me to death. I'm not ready for that. 
I'm excited for 2017, though. I really hope that it's a good year. I want to do things this year. I'm going to finish my novel. I have some posts planned and drafted for this blog that are really important to me. There are performances this spring that I am really excited for, and prom is always amazing. I'm excited. I'm excited, because if I don't get excited, then I'll dwell on all of the things about 2017 that are overwhelming. So I'm choosing to be excited. We can't stop this year from coming, so let's embrace it.

We have a choice going into this year. We can let it be mundane. Or we can chase the things that we want. We can get swept up in the busyness and stress of life. Or we can embrace the time that we do have. That is my challenge to you all this year. Live life. Do things. Do the things that you've put off. Stop waiting, and do them. Because guys, we're only young once. To quote the oh so wise Lin Manuel Miranda, don't throw away your shot. 

Hello there, 2017. We're ready for you.

Christmas

Friday, December 23, 2016



wreaths.

trees.

ornaments.

cookies.

wrapping paper.

twinkle lights.

stars.

sitting around the living room, laughing at the latest hallmark movie. they all seem to have the same plot at this point, but we really don't mind. the living room is warm and the tree is sparkling and we are happy.

driving around town, looking at all of the different Christmas lights. projections seem to be in this year, which we all agree isn't our favorite decorating technique. we dance in the backseat despite the fact that no music is playing, and laugh over things that aren't even funny.

cookies upon cookies upon cookies are baked. too many to count. six hundred? seven hundred? who knows. the counters are covered in flour and the kitchen is filled with music as we bake and bake and bake for hours on end.

we anxiously watch the weather report, only to sigh in disappointment. once more, it looks like there won't be a white Christmas here in the south.

alone in my room, the tiny tree twinkles. i like to refer to it as my charlie brown tree. i don't care that it's small. it's cute, and i happen to think it's the perfect size. the dim light fills my room as i read about Jesus's birth for the millionth time- it never ceases to amaze me.

a message pops up on my phone. soon, the doorbell rings, and a friend comes inside. we exchange Christmas presents and laugh over jokes that we hadn't thought about in months. i'm sad to see her go- our time together grows less and less frequent, and neither of us likes it.

the floor is littered with wrapping paper and bows. tape sticks to our fingers as we wrap the piles of presents and stack them underneath the tree. the paper makes me happy- snowmen and candy canes and snowflakes. everything is so seasonal and cheery and i love it to pieces.

Christmas music fills the air constantly. familiar songs that we've heard all of our lives, so beautiful that we can't help but sing along.

i pour over the lists in my notebook for the umpteenth time. making sure that i've remembered everyone's gifts. they have to be perfect. as usual, i can't help but wish that i could give more gifts.

as i'm writing this right now, white christmas is playing. it will forever be my favorite movie-no matter how many times that i watch it, it never gets old. bing crosby's voice is unmatched by anyone.

red. gold. glitter. tissue paper. music. laughter. stockings. elves. nutcrackers. sweaters. joy.

i just love Christmas more than i can possibly say.

~~~~~

I hope that you all have the most wonderful Christmas. I love you all so much. ♥

Last Minute Christmas Plans- Gifts, Desserts, and More!

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

this post may contain affiliate links

December is hectic. We've all been busy with school, and now that finals are over, the panic hits- Christmas. There's so much to do! Last minute Christmas gifts are overwhelming, the house needs decorations, and HELLO, Christmas cookies! It can be super stressful to look at all of the things to do and feel so unprepared. Almost every night lately after I've fallen into bed, I lie there thinking of all the things that need to be done. It's terrifying! So, I wanted to come up with a list of lots of easy last minute things that turn out GREAT. Here's to making your life easier than mine has been!

><><><><><

><><><><><

Y'all know that I absolutely thrive off of Amazon. I've done so much online shopping over the last few days, it's not even funny. Most items that you buy off of Amazon will still ship in time for Christmas, so that's definitely my go-to. Etsy is also super helpful, although I will warn you that some shops have closed at this point. Still, it's worth a shot! 

I like to put together kits with lots of little items, like makeup or jewelry, that the gift recipient will love. It's fun to fill a bag with lots of little things!

1. Holiday EOS are definitely one of my favorite things- they're also great stocking stuffers! The flavors are all amazing. They also come in stick form!

2. It's no exaggeration to say that I have a mug obsession. I love cute, sassy mugs! I'm literally in love with this cat mug

3. The other day when I was on one of my many Amazon searches, I found these adorable tiny notebooks. They are THE CUTEST. 

4. I mentioned this in my Black Friday shopping guide, but guys, I was not kidding. THIS TOPCOAT IS AMAZING. I literally want to buy it for everyone that I know. It's the best topcoat I have ever used in my life. Sometime, I'll have to take a photo of my nails every day with that topcoat on top, just to show you how long it lasts. It's phenomenal. 

5. As a blogger, I have to have my phone on me almost all of the time, and so touchscreen gloves are pretty fabulous. I'm perpetually cold, so they definitely come in handy, haha. 

Hopefully some of those ideas were helpful! I know how difficult gift shopping is- despite all of my Black Friday shopping, I'm still not finished! If you have any other gift ideas, leave them below- heaven knows that I need them!  

><><><><><

><><><><><

Honestly, what is Christmas without desserts? I have a major sweet tooth, and Christmas desserts are pretty much my favorite thing all year. THEY'RE SO GOOD. Lately I've been scrolling through Pinterest and eyeing all of the gorgeous desserts. Naturally, you have to have something sweet on hand throughout the holiday season. So here are some ideas for some great desserts!

recipe/source
1. I've seen these cupcakes many times floating around Pinterest, and I really want to give them a try. They look so simple, and I'm sure they'd taste great!

recipe/source
2. Y'ALL. THIS LOOKS SO GOOD. Oh my gosh. I could cry. This looks like utter heaven.

recipe/source
3. Some of you guys may have seen on my Instagram story, but last night we made a variation of these cookies, with a hitch- we added crushed up candy cane to the powdered sugar that you roll the cookies in. THEY ARE SO GOOD. Oh my gosh. These cookies are SO GOOD. I may have to go eat another one when I finish this post. 

source/recipe
4. I've been wanting to try to make Oreo peppermint truffles for YEARS now, and I may just have to do it this year. They look so good!

source/recipe
5. You honestly cannot go any easier than Rice Krispy Treats. Add some festive sprinkles, and there you go! A super yummy, super simple Christmas dessert for that last-minute party. 

Gosh, now I'm really hungry...

><><><><><
><><><><><

Ah, decorations. We have such a love/hate relationship. I love decorations, and how festive of an atmosphere that they create. But I am not a crafty person in the least. It's terrible. So, I'm only going to talk about decorations that I don't even think that I could mess up. If I can do them, anyone can.


1. Look at how easy this looks, you guys. You literally just paint a pinecone and a pot. I really want to try it! It's super cute.


2. I always love the Two Sisters site- they have the cutest things! These candles look pretty simple, and I might have to try them. My little sister has been doing lots of crafts with Modge Podge lately, so she may have to help me with this, haha.

source
3. I'm a sucker for cute garlands. I LOVE them. I really want to make this one and hang it in my room- it's adorable! 

source
4. These look so classy, you'd never notice that they're made from popsicle sticks! I don't know that I could make mine look this good, but I'd really like to try!


5. After seeing this, I honestly want to take all of my mom's glassware and fill it with red and white things.

><><><><><

Well, there you have it- a last minute guide to making your Christmas amazing. I'm so excited for Christmas, you guys- I hope that your holiday season is the best yet. ♥

><><><><><

How are your Christmas plans coming?? Are you excited? Do you still have shopping to do? Decorating? What are your favorite Christmas cookies? Let me know below!!!

NaNoWriMo 2016 Recap

Sunday, December 4, 2016

November was a crazy month, you guys. Everyone in the blogosphere has heard about NaNoWriMo in some capacity, whether they participated themselves, had friends taking part, or simply just read hundreds of posts in which people ranted about it. This year, I decided to take part. 

November is always a busy month for me, between school, the holidays, and my theatre group's annual Christmas show. So, going into NaNo, I wanted to be realistic. I didn't see how writing 50K could possibly be feasible- I've never written that much in my entire life. Not in as short of a time span as a month, anyways. It just didn't make sense. So I decided to shoot for 25K instead- a smaller amount, yes, but still a substantial word count, something that would further my novel.

This November, I wrote 51,110 words. 

Honestly, I am ridiculously proud of that number. I still can't quite believe that it happened. That on November 30th at exactly 9:28 p.m. (yes, I know the exact time), I hit 50K. Added to my initial word count, my novel is now a little over 68,000 words, with probably about 10,000 more to go before completion. I'm so close. I can't believe how close that I am to finishing. It's surreal.


And I know that compared to some people who are absolute writing MACHINES and write thousands upon thousands more after hitting the 50K mark, my word count isn't huge. But I'm really, really happy with it, especially for my first year. And I'm also insanely proud of all of my beautiful friends who absolutely KILLED NaNo!!!!! Katie Grace, CaitAimee, Nicole, Gabriela, Abbie- I'm looking at you!!! 

(Funny little side note but after I hit 25K earlier in the month and realized that I might actually be able to hit 50K, there was a tiny voice in the back of my head chanting "Make Katie Grace proud! Hit 50K!" over and over for the rest of the month. XD)

My best writing day was November 5, when I wrote 4,702 words. There were six days throughout the month where I didn't write anything, which I really hated, but I didn't usually have a choice in that matter. If I could write, I did, but a few days, I just couldn't. Although technically if I think about it, that means that I actually wrote over 50K in 24 days, which is even crazier. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED I'VE NEVER WRITTEN THIS MUCH IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. My little blonde brain is still so blown.

I honestly think that the thing that surprised me most about NaNo was how much I genuinely loved it. Like, I was excited going into NaNo. I wanted to get further in to my novel, and I figured that doing NaNo would be a good way to accomplish that. But I was kind of terrified at the same time. I'd read so many posts in which people talked about how awful NaNo was, how you would be stressed 24/7 and wouldn't ever have a chance to sleep and you'd end up hating your novel. 

But really? Overall, NaNo didn't horribly stress me out, I didn't sleep any less than usual, and I'm honestly obsessed with my novel. It's kind of funny to look back and think that in September, I was genuinely debating over whether or not I should just scrap the novel completely. It needs TONS of editing, as I know that it has plot holes galore, but I really love my story. My characters are literally my babies and I cannot wait to finally perfect their story. 

I think that over the course of doing NaNo, I really realized just how much I want this to be my lifestyle. I really do want to be a full-time author. Is that going to actually happen? Probably not, but oh my goodness I'm going to try my hardest to get there. Huddling up under a blanket with my cup of coffee (a NaNo staple) and writing for hours on end is honestly one of my favorite things to do. 

All in all, I am so, so thankful that I decided to do NaNo this year. So THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who encouraged me to go for it!!! You guys are the best. ♥

I thought that I'd include a couple of notes about my NaNo experience, so that next year, future Grace Anne can remember a few things. ;)


- - - - -

1. Word Wars Are Your Best Friend

It took me a while to actually try out word warring, but once I did, I never looked back. Oh my gosh you guys, word wars are AMAZING. I don't know if it's just the fact that I'm so competitive or what, but whenever I did a word war, I could get some crazy word counts. I'm usually a fairly slow writer, but the second that I started warring, I went nuts. I learned that I can write about 1K in twenty minutes, which was fabulous. Shout out to Gabriela for introducing me to the wonderful world of warring- YOU ARE THE BEST, GIRL!!!

2. Word Crawls Are Your Other Best Friend 

Major thank-you to Katie Grace for introducing me to my NaNo BFF, the Hamilton Word Crawl. OH MY GOSH I LOVE THAT THING SO MUCH. I mean, how much more motivation do you need???

3. Coffee Helps. Coffee Helps A Lot.

I have never been a coffee person. I've never been a morning person, either. Especially not a morning writer. Ew, mornings, no. I've always been more of a nighttime writer. But over the course of NaNo, I learned that I really did my best writing in the morning or right after lunch. This isn't to say that I never wrote in the late afternoon or at night, because I did quite a bit, but I did a lot of writing first thing, before I even did school. Not always the wisest decision but we'll ignore that for now. And since obviously, mornings still aren't my favorite time of day, coffee came in handy quite a bit. I have to have lots of cream and sugar, but hey, it works!

4. I AM A PLOTTER!

Oh my gosh, y'all. If I learned anything over the course of NaNo, it's this. I am a plotter, through and through. I love plotting. Call me OCD, Type A, whatever you want, but it's true. I felt so much more relaxed and could work so much more quickly when I had a solid plan. (Plus, the fact that some of the scenes that I was writing were scenes that I'd been imagining for over a year definitely helped.) When I had to fill time, or I didn't know where I was going with the plot, I felt so overwhelmed and stressed out. Granted, I did come up with some great plot twists and new characters that I don't think I would have come up with had I plotted every single detail, so I do think that it's good to do some pantsing as well, overall I work much better when I have an outline. 

5. Writing People Are The Best Of Ever.

Oh my goodness, guys. If I wasn't already convinced enough that the writing community is LITERALLY the absolute best, this month sealed it. Spending an entire month writing is infinitely more fun when you're surrounded with tons of awesome writing friends who are doing the EXACT same thing that you are, and are always ready to commiserate with you, word war, or calm you down when you're panicking about finishing on time. Plus, THEY ARE LITERALLY THE MOST ENCOURAGING PEOPLE EVER. Like, honestly. Twitter people, you are the nicest and you make me so very, very happy. My oh my, I love you all. ♥

- - - - -

Also, a few of my thoughts over the course of the month, because at this point I only have so many words left in me, and I think that my past self can do a better job of explaining this than I can.




- - - - -

Well, there you have it! My massive NaNo recap. Honestly, I could not be any happier with how the month turned out. I had so much fun, and I already can't wait for next year! ♥♥♥

- - - - -

SO TELL ME ABOUT YOUR NANO EXPERIENCE!!!!! Did you take part in NaNo this year? How did it go?? OR, were you one of the blessed people who got to relax and laugh as you watched your friends panicking? Did you enjoy that? TELL ME ALL ABOUT YOUR NOVEMBER!!!!



Happy December!

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Writing an intro post for a new month always feels weird. But I can say with absolute certainty that this is the weirdest post to write. 

It's December, guys. HOW IS IT DECEMBER???

Right now, I'm writing this sitting at my kitchen table. And in some ways, you would never be able to tell that it's December. It's sixty degrees outside, sunlight is streaming through the windows, and orange leaves still populate the trees. I could almost forget that it's December entirely. 

....then I realize that Steven Curtis Chapman's Christmas album is playing, all I have to do is look to the left and I see a giant Christmas tree, and even the shirt that I'm wearing proclaims, "Merry Christmas!" 

Yep. It's definitely December. 

I swear, November was one of those months where you blink and it's gone. It was an insanely busy month. My sister had a choir competition, so for a week we were constantly going to and from that. School is always crazy, NaNo happened, we celebrated Thanksgiving, and somewhere peppered throughout all of that mess, there were rehearsals upon rehearsals, the election happened, we performed in a holiday show, naturally had to decorate for Christmas, time was spent with friends, blogging constantly called, and there was just the general everyday life stuff. I'd be lying if I said that it wasn't absolutely insane and I didn't think I was going to lose my mind many, many times. But overall, it was a really good month, full of so many exciting, fun things. I couldn't help but love it. 

As scary as it is that it's already December, I'm excited. I love December so much. I love Christmas. I LOVE Christmas. It's my favorite holiday, hands-down. Everything is just so exciting and joyful this time of year. I can't wait to be done with school so that I can go into full-blown Christmas mode! 

It's blowing my mind, though, that next week, first semester will be over. I'm halfway through my junior year. How did it get here so quickly? I'm not ready to be a senior, not at all. I think I'll just not think about that right now...

Instead, I'm going to think about Christmas. I can't wait to decorate my room, bake Christmas cookies, and curl up next to the tree and watch Hallmark movies. It's just a perfect season, and I cannot express my love for it enough. ♥

- - - - -

// My good friend Morning is starting a blogger yearbook! Click HERE to find out how to be a part of it!!

// I had the pleasure of beta reading my friend Abi's novel a few months ago, and she finally has a release date!!! I am so beyond excited for her, oh my goodness. Her novel, Martin Hospitality, is so fantastic, and I can't wait for all of you to see how amazing she is!

// Word wars are the best things ever and if you're writing a novel, I CANNOT RECOMMEND THEM ENOUGH.

// There's a bagel shop near me that has a deal once a week where you can buy a dozen bagels, and get six free. I don't need anything else in life. 

// Mary Shelley has caused me to become head over heels obsessed with Ben Rector and I am very happy about that fact.

// Leslie Odom Jr. released a Christmas album, and it is basically the most gorgeous thing of ever.

// So Blogger updated??? I have to say, I'm not a fan....

// A couple of my blogger friends and I have officially become pen pals, and it's amazing.

// Aaliyah's post was basically my favorite thing. 

// Fun fact, autumn mornings on campus sitting outside in the middle of a giant mass of fog can be kind of creepy. 

- - - - -

// COMPLETE NANO!! I'm shooting for AT LEAST 25,000 words- I'd love to get further than that!  SUCCESS!!!! I actually got quite a bit further than that- stay tuned for my NaNo recap post that's coming out in a few days- I'm so excited to tell y'all about it, oh my goodness. 

// Be more active in the blogosphere Success! Despite the craziness of the month, I managed to stay afloat for the most part, posting eight times on here, and staying pretty caught up with all of your posts! I've got some reading to do tonight or tomorrow, but overall I think that I've been fairly active, which makes me happy. :)

// Complete the Thankfulness Thursday challenge Success! It was a lot of fun, and I loved seeing how many people got involved! It was so awesome. 

// Start on Christmas! Eh. I've started, but it's not going too well. I'm so stuck on what to buy for people! I have two or three presents, though, so I guess that's a start? 

// Manage my time better- Eh, I'll give myself half credit here, too. I wasn't horrible or anything, but I certainly wasn't some super productive crazy person. I wish, haha! 

// Have a consistent stretching time- HA. I really need to give up on this resolution. It never happens. 

// USE THE FLIPPING PLANNER- I really didn't...I've gotten back into it the last few days, but not enough to count it. 

// Reorganize my clothes. They're such a wreck right now, y'all. It's bad. Success! It's so nice having everything organized again. Well, at least my clothes are. We aren't going to talk about the rest of my room.

// Practice driving at least once. I'm so scared. XD But I know I need to do it.- I never did get around to driving this month. I need to practice sometime, but you all know that I'm not exactly dying to get behind the wheel.

- - - - -

// Survive finals. My two big exams are both on the 7th, so hopefully I don't die.

// Hit 100 followers. I really doubt I'll make it, but I'm at 90, and I would kind of die of happiness if I hit 100.

// Get my Christmas present plans under control.

// Keep my room clean.

// DO AS MANY CHRISTMASY THINGS AS POSSIBLE!!!

// Finish my novel.

// Read a bit more.

// Share some Christmas-themed posts.

- - - - -

Can you believe that it's already December?? Are you excited? Are you excited for CHRISTMAS???? How was your November? Did you do NaNo? Do you have any goals for this December? LET'S CHAT!!
CopyRight Grace Anne Johnson 2024 © | Theme Designed By Hello Manhattan