TAG! YOU'RE IT!!!

Thursday, September 29, 2016


......Whew.

I feel like I just made it to the surface of the deep end of the pool. Like I'm finally getting a breath of air. Ever since we got back from our trip, life has been utter insanity. School. School. School. Catching up on blogs. Beta reading. Theatre. Friends. LIFE.

But I finally feel as though I'm getting a hold on things again, and I actually have time to blog again. I've missed it so much, oh my goodness. I've missed YOU guys. I'm so happy to be back. : )

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So, apparently while I was gone, I got tagged...a lot? This is kind of a tag overload, so watch for your name because YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO GET TAGGED AT SOME POINT. I'm really excited to fill all of these out though- I love tags. ♥ I kind of think that I'm still missing a tag, so if you tagged me for something and I don't complete it here, I forgot about it. I tried to write them all down, but I could have missed something along the way. I apologize!!!

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T H E   L I E B S T E R  A W A R D

I was tagged for the Liebster Award by the LOVELY Julia over at the Barefoot Gal, so thank you, Julia! She didn't include the rules in her post, sooooo.... I'm not going to either. Because honestly I just don't want to hunt them down, and I'm pretty sure at this point, we all know how the Liebster Award works. 

(Also I have to say, Julia, your questions were cracking me up. You're the queen of this.)

1. If someone handed you a puppy, what would you do? 

I would probably cry happy tears. And that person would then become my best friend for life.

2. Would you rather camp in a tent with nothing for a month, or be snowed in a log cabin with everything for 4 months?

Um, is that even a question? Log cabin, all the way. I wouldn't have to socialize, I'd have chocolate and wifi and books- what else do you need? 

3. Your most used word? (i.e. dude. yo. bro. huh. uh. whatevs)

As white girl as this sounds, probably "like". My little sister says either "ugh" or "aesthetic". So if you want to know my personality, those three words basically sum it up.

4. If you HAD to move and got to choose the place, where would you go?

Urg..ten minutes from where I live now?? I know that's not what you're looking for but that's my answer haha. If it HAD to be further away, the beach. 

5. Are you involved in any Instagram group chats? If so, include a short and utterly goofy snippet.

Hahahaha I LOVE this question! Yes, I am involved in several group chats. Let's see...

I actually can't seem to find any screenshots right off, which is super annoying because I know I've taken screenshots. I guess I'll just have to include a quote from our aesthetic baegels group chat- I'll let you guess who it was;) (sidenote: THAT COULD BE A GAME. GUESS THE BAEGEL XD) "Princess and the Frog had me about to sell my birthright for one of those man catchin beignets"
(The amount of Disney conversations we have is kind of hilarious..)

6. Would you rather have poison ivy or chicken pox?

Hmm. Probably poison ivy, because I HATE being sick. Hate it. Like, more than anything in life. I guess it would depend on where the poison ivy was. Like, if it was just on my arm or leg or something that might not be as bad but if it somehow got on my face, that would be horrendous. 

7. What do you do when you're nervous?

Haha, I have so many little nervous habits. (I'm also easily nervous so that's probably why.) It kind of depends on how nervous I am. A lot of times when I know I'm going to be in a nerve-wracking situation, I wear a ring, so I have something to fiddle with. I actually have a friend who gets concerned about me when she sees me wearing a ring, haha. If I don't have a ring, I just kind of fiddle with my hands, and I clench them a lot. And then, if I'm horrifically nervous/panicky, I pace. A lot. XD

8. Do you write poetry? If you do, include a poem. 

I DO write poetry! Buuuuut...I'm not going to include a poem. Sorry, Julia! I actually wrote one the other night, though, and I'm thinking about posting it. So you might see something, soon. ;)
(p.s. I DID post a poem on Kate's blog recently, if you missed it and really want to see some poetry. Check out some of her stuff while you're there- her poetry is 11387438719 times better than mine, haha!)

9. Can you remember passwords?

Usually, yes! I have about a million so occasionally I have a blonde moment but overall I'm pretty good with passwords.

10. What are you looking forward to right now?

Starting Music Man rehearsals, getting back to writing my novel, and a swing dance that's coming up.  

I'm going to re-use Julia's questions, because I absolutely love them, and this post is going to be long enough as it is, haha. I tag- Jacy, Ashlyn, Alexandria, Sara, and Morning. And if you like these questions, then please, take part in the tag, too!! Answer them in the comments if you want- I just want to hear your answers!

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S M A L L   I S   B E A U T I F U L

This tag was created by the lovely Serena over at Poetree, and I'm super excited to be a part of it! It's a super sweet tag. 

Guidelines:

1// Feature 3-5 blogs with fewer than 100 followers.
2// Write 1-3 paragraphs about each blog, including information like what the blog is about, a brief bio of the blogger, and/or why you recommend their blog. Don't forget a link to their blog!
3// Include an image for each blog, whether it's a blog button, profile photo, header, or simply a screenshot of the blog.
4// Thank the blogger who featured you, and include a link to their blog. If you like, you can even include them as one of the blogs that you feature (especially if they joined the tag without having been featured by someone else).
5// Include the tag image somewhere in your post.
Optional: For extra visibility, share a link to your post on Twitter with #SmallBlogsTag. I'll retweet it! Don't forget to follow the hashtag and retweet others' links!



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SERENA || POETREE

Serena is a dreamer, poet, and book enthusiast. Her photography is gorgeous, and I love her Wordless Wednesday posts! Her book reviews are wonderful, and I always enjoy reading her posts. : ) 



Jacy's blog is gorgeous. I'm constantly just left in awe by how incredible her writing is. She's super relatable and sweet, and YOU NEED TO CHECK HER OUT RIGHT NOW.



Burning Youth is a brilliant blog collaborative full of poetry and beauty and truth. These girls constantly blow my mind- they're stars.

HANNAH || GRACE IN EVERYTHING

Hannah is basically my mental twin, with about 10x the grace and class and wisdom. She's amazing, guys. Her blog is full of so much truth and happiness and GRACE. I love her so much ♥

RACHEL || SILVER MESS


Rachel is singlehandedly one of the most creative people that I've ever met. She is a true artist in every sense of the word. She's a writer, a photographer, even a singer!! (CHECK OUT HER SONG)

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GO CHECK THESE AMAZING SITES OUT! They're phenomenal. ♥

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ONE MORE TAG!!

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T H E   L I E B S T E R  A W A R D

That's right, I was ALSO tagged by Clara for the Liebster Award! Thank you so much, Clara! I'm excited. ♥

1. What color is your toothbrush?

White!

2. When I dance I look like...?

I mean, I'd hope I look okay since I've been dancing for ages, but to be honest I probably look like a dying whale most of the time. 

3. If you were to be famous, what would you be famous for?

I'd WANT to be a famous author, but currently I'd probably be famous for doing something really dumb haha. XD

4. If you were running for president, what would your campaign slogan be?

"I'M A BETTER OPTION THAN THE OTHER GUYS!"

5. Do bald men wash their head with soap or shampoo?

Um...seeing as I'm a teenage girl...no idea.

6. If you were to take a selfie with a celebrity, which celebrity would it be and why?

As in, who would I WANT it to be? Julie Andrews. Because, Julie Andrews.

7. If you were an Olympic athlete, which sport would you compete in?

Probably gymnastics. It's the only one I can really see myself doing. That, or maybe beach volleyball.

8. Ask Siri to tell you a story. What did she tell you?

Well, I'm currently surrounded by my family and don't want to have to explain why I'm randomly chatting with Siri, so I'm not going to do this one. XD

9. Would you rather be invisible or able to read minds?

I'VE LITERALLY DEBATED WITH MYSELF OVER THIS FOR YEARS. YEARSSS. See, whenever anyone's like, "If you could have a superpower, what would it be?" I always debate between those two. AND I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DECIDE. Like, I want to know what other people are thinking and what other people think about me  so I've always wanted to be able to read their minds and know what's going on and stuff like that. But then if you were invisible you could listen to any conversation you wanted and like you could get into shows and concerts and travel and stuff like that for FREE. So I have no idea. It's a very stressful question for me. 

10. Take this Jane Austen quiz. Which heroine are you? Share the description. 

I got Elizabeth Bennett. Here's my description- "You are as admirable as you are stubborn. Even in the face of great adversity, you never comprise your morals and you firmly believe in marrying for love rather than for security. At times, you can be quite difficult to please, but that's simply because you're a richly complex and intelligent person. Plus, your sense of humor is positively delightful as are your dancing skills." 
(Also apparently Morning got Lizzy as well and this is further proof that we're twins.)
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I'm going to use Clara's questions, and I tag- Opal, Aaliyah, Olivia, Abby M, and Mary Shelley! Again, if you like this tag, DO IT!! I dare you. ; )

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So, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE TAGS?? Are YOU going to do one? (hint- you should) What have you been up to lately? Let's chat!!




WHAT'D I MISS???? Why I Disappeared, Life Updates, and Gifs Galore

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

I’M BAAAAAACK!!


Some of you may have noticed that I’ve been a bit absent from the blogger world lately. I know I know I have failed please forgive me. Aside from a few posts going up, I’ve been nowhere to be found. SO WHAT HAPPENED? Was I kidnapped by aliens and forced off of social media? Did my computer die and I lost not only wifi but my mind??

.....nah.

It's much less dramatic than that, actually. From the eighth until Sunday, I was in the glorious Sunshine State- Florida.

Guys, I want to move there.

It was fabulous. We spent most of our time in Disney, because I have a family full of Disney nerds. We all love it, so take us to a castle and we are very happy people. Prepare in advance- the photo spam is coming. Because even in Disney, you gotta #doitfortheaesthetic. At one point my Dad turned to me as I was frantically snapping at a sunset, and he's like, "You take photos of everything! You'd take photos of a cup if you thought that it was 'aesthetic'."

Yes, Dad. Yes, I would.

(I actually have multiple photos of cups from this trip, now that I think about it. Huh.)

My family started asking me if I wanted a photo before we ate anything. XD It was great.

Gosh, I'm rambling. Moving on.
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Anyways, as a result of this, I’ve gotten SUPER behind. On, like, everything. Blogging, social media, LIFE IN GENERAL. It’s grand. So I’m currently working on catching up on ALL of your lovely blog posts, comments, and various posts on Instagram and Twitter. I’m slightly exhausted just thinking about it. I started scrolling through my Blogger feed to see where I have to start, and it's crazy. BUT I'll DO IT! I'm determined to read all of your lovely posts. 

If you've sent me a message, or I said that I would get back to you and I didn't- I'm so sorry! I've been trying my hardest to keep track of everything, but something might have slipped through the cracks. Please send me a message or leave a comment reminding me!! If I've forgotten to do something for you, it's not intentional, I promise. 

So tell me- WHAT’D I MISS??

Would I be me if I didn't include a Hamilton gif?
I really want to catch up as quickly as possible. So, catch me up! Leave me links! I WANT TO HEAR ALL ABOUT YOUR LOVELY LIVES. I feel like I've missed so much, so please- help a girl out!

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In other life-y news, the auditions for my school’s musical (Music Man) were yesterday- basically the most important audition all year.

No pressure or anything.

It was a long day. I ended up changing my monologue at 7 yesterday morning, and literally spent at least two class periods trying to memorize it. I still can't remember what my English homework it. (Probably should check that.)

For all the fellow theatre nerds who are curious, I did Emily's monologue to George from Our Town, and sang the first part of Burn from Hamilton. I really liked both of the pieces a lot, even though it's basically the most stressful thing ever. I was absolutely convinced that I would forget the monologue, or crack on a note or something. 

BUT...it actually went fairly well:) I wasn't perfect in my audition by far, but I didn't horribly bomb and..I actually got a callback! It was my first-ever callback, and I was beyond excited. Like, pretty sure I could have just started crying on the spot haha. XD My friends tackle-hugged me, and I was freaking out. Anyways, I ended up getting to read for Zaneeta at callbacks. I won't know if I got the role or not for several days, but I'm just glad that I got the opportunity to try. Whatever happens, happens. :) 


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Anyways, enough about me- tell me about YOU! HOW'S LIFE? WHAT'S NEW? WHAT HAVE I MISSED? LET'S CHAT!

Junior Year Goals

Thursday, September 15, 2016


Junior year.

How on earth did I end up here?

I feel like it was just yesterday that I was in eighth grade, and now I've blinked and suddenly, it's junior year. Frankly, it makes me feel old. Like, the fact that next year, I'll be a senior? THAT'S CRAZY. Not okay with this. Not. At. All.

I've seen lots of "_____ Year Goals" posts floating around the blogosphere the last few weeks, but naturally, I've been in denial that I'm actually a junior and haven't posted mine. Go me, having my life together like that. 

BUT I did want to do a post like this, so I'm going to, no matter how depressing I may find it. I'm only going to be a junior once- might as well embrace it. 

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1. Don't get behind on schoolwork.

I feel like this is the obvious goal every year, but let's be honest- it never seems to happen. Am I going to fail miserably at this? Yeah, probably. But might as well include it anyways.*shrug*

2. Finish the first draft of my novel.

That's right. STILL haven't finished the first draft. (I'm currently thinking about scrapping it, actually, but that's a rant for another time.) I'm bound and determined that I am GOING to finish this draft this year. I'll die trying, but I WILL finish it.

3. Be in my co-op's musical. 

I'm really excited for this, actually. (Grace Anne's excited about a musical. Shocker, I know.) Auditions are on the 19th- hopefully they'll go well!

4. Stress less.

I'm a mess, guys. I get stressed out and anxious WAY too easily. I'm probably going to fail on this goal, too, but it's worth a shot. I am not throwing away my shot!

5. Survive college classes.

So far, so good, but I'm only a month in. Hopefully they'll continue to go well! 

6. Branch out, friend-wise.

Most of my friends are all from the same group, so I feel like I should attempt to be a bit more outgoing, friendship-wise. Again, this is another one that I'll probably fail miserably on, but it's worth a try.

7. Read more often.

Lately, I've been in a major reading slump, and quite frankly I'm tired of it. I miss reading! Even though it's always busy during the school year, I really want to make it a point to read more often. 

8. Become more outgoing. 

Yes, I am an introvert. I'm pretty sure that I always am going to be an introvert, and that's not a bad thing. But I do want to try to become a little more comfortable with being more social and outgoing. Anyone want to train me in the art of extroverting?

9. Be more consistent with journaling.

As much as I love journaling, I feel like I did a terrible job with this during my sophomore year. I would try to journal, but I never had enough time, and I would get super overwhelmed (imagine that) trying to write down everything. I need to figure out a way to get better at managing it, because I really do love journaling, and it's nice to be able to look back at everything that's happened.

10. Take more photos 

My family will probably crack up reading this, because I already take an insane amount of photos, but honestly, I want to take even more than I do already. I want to capture everything, even the more mundane moments of life- especially the more mundane moments. They're so wonderful to look back on later.

11. Improve my organization

My life tends to fall into one of two categories- either I'm obsessively organized, down to the *tiniest* detail, or I'm a tornado of a mess. There's honestly no in-between. Lately, it's seemed to be more of a tornado than organized, and I really want to change that. I love being organized, it just seems like I always end up losing that organization. I WANT TO CHANGE THAT!

12. Don't let school take over.

I feel like a lot of times during the school year, I forget that school is only a *part* of my life, it's not my entire life. I want to do things OTHER than school. I want to enjoy life! I'm really trying to get my school out of the way, so that I can enjoy doing other things that I actually enjoy.

13. Survive standardized tests.

With junior year comes PSAT's and SAT's. Yay. I'm basically just hoping to survive them at this point.

14. Go to prom!!

Yes, I'm already thinking about prom. It's so much fun- I can't wait!! I can't decide what color dress I want yet- but obviously I'm already pinning away. ;)

15. Enjoy the year.

Honestly, I just want to have a good year. Like I said, junior year only happens once- I want to enjoy it. 

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What are YOUR goals for this year??

sacred ground // Kate

Monday, September 12, 2016

Oh my goodness, guys. I am so BEYOND ecstatic to have the brilliant Kate on the blog today! Kate is one of my blogger besties, and I'm constantly in awe of her creative talents. She is one of the most creative people that I have ever met. Follow her blog- you will be BLOWN AWAY. She's a world changer, guys. When I first read this poem, I honestly couldn't even handle it. I read it at least four times, and I'm still not over just how awesome it is. Thank you SO much, Kate, for posting! So honored to have you here. 
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painting,
drawing,
dancing,
writing,
singing,
strumming the strings of a guitar. 

it's not just paint on a page, 
words on a screen,
movements on a stage 
or across the living room floor,

it's creation. it's a continuation,
of a rhythm
a beat, 
a song, 
written, composed by
our Creator,
our Papa,
the star breather.

a paintbrush stroke on a page,
meaningless? or merely the next verse
in the song
that started with
"let there be light"?

a step in ballet shoes,
a twisting of joyous bare feet,
empty, hollow? 
or
an echo of
"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

clay between palms,
brainstorming sessions at one AM,
songs, 
music,
jamming with friends,

when we're asked what it is that we "do"
it seems so often as though we disregard these things,
for the ones that 'pay the bills'.

we disregard them as "hobbies"
when actually, we are treading on sacred ground
every time we open our mouths in song,
move our feet in dance,
lift our hands to create.
Every time we find our souls reaching out to the world through our fingertips,
through our talents,
through our dreams,
we find ourselves becoming more and more
like our Papa.

using the hands He created,
to create.

hobby?

no.

sacred act.
divine dance.
blessed,
gifted,
needed in this world.

so when they ask "what do you do?"

don't be afraid to tell them:

"I dance.
I sing.
I draw.
I act.
I capture images.
I write stories.
I laugh and jam with friends.
I watch stars,
and clouds,
and feel the air between my fingers 
on long car rides.
I create.

Just like our Papa."


________________________________

FOLLOW KATE!

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Don't run off without leaving Kate some love down in the comments! 













~Summer 2016~

Friday, September 9, 2016

late nights
lake days
milkshake runs
bagel dates
turning 16
painting rooms
Hamilton
Hallmark movies
Instagram chats
photographs
vlogs
attempted flatlays
poor poor succulents
long walks
Everybody Loves Raymond
fried eggs
doughnut adventures
photoshoots
messy buns
no makeup
summer ballet
Finding Dory
murder mysteries
free bagels
the dollar section at Target
fruit fruit fruit
honeydew
canteloupe
Paper Comets
watermelon
water water water
long phone calls
lettering
Unsteady
poetry
blogiversaries
sleeping in
taco nights
the Olympics
falling in love with beta reading
new blog designs
golden oreos
attempting to drive
jam sessions with my sister

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Summer 2016. It was pretty epic. I'll be honest- I didn't knock everything off of my summer bucket list. I never had that water balloon fight. It was far too hot to attempt any picnics. Swing dancing never seemed to work out, and I didn't make a single smoothie. But I spent lots of time with awesome people. I had my first campout. The amount of ice cream that I consumed was insane, lake days were plentiful, and I finally painted my room. It's impossible to do everything, but I did do a LOT of awesome things. I'm not ready to be back in the swing of life, not ready for fall weather, not ready in general- but I'm glad to be able to say that it was a full, wonderful summer. 

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How was your summer?
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