Autumn

Beauties of November // HITTING 50K & WINNING NANO...plus other stuffs

11:03 AM


#1 Handing out food at church
. THERE WERE SO MANY TURKEYS-AROUND 200-300-of them *whew* It was actually tons of fun to bring grocery bags full of food and heavy turkeys to people. And to refill tables with boxed brownie mix.

#2  WINNING NANOWRIMO WITH 53,034 WORDS
 AAAAAAAAAHHHH. I STILL CANNOT FULLY COMPREHEND IT! I WON I WON!!!! *throwing chocolate chip cookies in the air* *throwing book pages like they do in the movies*.

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*squeals* *I can't believe I DID THIS!*

#3 ENDING GIFT OF THE SEA
OKAYYY (doesn't know how to repeat the above squealing again). GIFT OF THE SEA is ended. Just like that. Boom. Wow. But....first draft, riggghhhttt?


#4 Thanksgiving
Which is always an amazing time. The FOOD smelled SO good, and we had pumpkin pie & stuffing (my Mom and me make the best, by the way) &  watched the dogggg showww on T.V. And, by the way, I skyped a really awesome person on her birthday the day before ❤ your the bestest!

#5 French & double Pirouettes
(just kinda figured those go together) My double pirouette is not as good nor as perfect nor as balanced as I would wish it be right now (and what's with this I can hardly do it while someone is watching me thing? I mean come on!) But French is coming along quite fine.
 *Que Passepartout trying to speak French in Around the World in 80 Days*

Oh, yes. I ALSO PUT MY FOOT ON OUR MANTEL. *Amazed emoji*

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#6 Walking on the biggest sandbar ever
I have lived right on this beach my whole life...and never do I remember being on such a HUGE SANDBAR...





#1 Falling out of a pirouette & landing on my tush
Which, technically isn't the funnest thing ever. #lookingupfromthegroundlikeatoddler.

#2 Sprinkling the dance floor with bobby pins
I. HAVE. A. LOT. OF. HAIR. OKAY? So it takes a lot of...okay, a ton of bobby pins to hold it all up in one little ballerina bun. And when you are turning your head at the rate of a second, bobby pins are just going to shoot out everywhere. I'd just prefer them to at home, not at the dance studio. It's like I leave a trail, and suddenly there is some little girl behind me trying to hand back a bobby pin or so. *head in hands*


   

#1 The story that inspired the Sound of Music, the Story of the Trapp Family Singers. I haven't finished it yet-yes, because of nano craziness this month-but so far I've enjoyed it's little humorous tidbits and heart-felt holiday reminisces. AND of COURSE #2 my own book! Still working on that cover, so, don't worry that hunk of draft up there isn't final. This whole writing journey has been fun. I'm about to see where editing will take me...hopefully to a printed copy of the first draft of Gift of the Sea.

#1 For the EPIC Masquerade/costume/theme Christmas party I'm planning for my youth group!!! Ah! It's a *toy* theme, so you dress as your favorite childhood toy. I'm deciding whether or not to be a wind-up doll, or a stuffed animal. I believe I'll choose the wind-up doll in the end. 

#2 For completing my first crochet project
As shown below, this is the little fellow I'm knitting for my niece. She is going to be wearing either a pink sweater or a pink dress, and a pink scarf. IT'S SO CUTE!!


#3 For buying a print copy of Gift of the Sea...and Christmas
What else could any writer be excited for then her own book in her own palms? And also...I've been listening to Christmas music.

How was your November?
What would you be at a Toy Masquerade??

animals

OCTOBER Beauties // Newsies, Hay Rides, French & Love Comes Softly

4:38 PM



Our youth group's day at the farm...hay ride/corn maze/fire/s'mores

Finding riding boots at the thrift shop for $3.75

Making new frrrriiieeeennnndsss

Going to Annapolis (thee ol' capital) for Billy Graham's 'Decision America Tour'

Visiting the D.C zoo and seeing the mermaid-like sea lion

Going canoeing for the 1st time

eating CHOCOLATE DIPPED WAFFLES for the 1st time






Love Comes Softly surprised me with it's simple writing. The style was simplicity yet the story was heart-felt and overall I thought the book was a 5-star. It felt real as I went almost sometimes, day-to-day with Marty. Emily's Quest wasn't my favorite Emily book; however, I liked certain chapters. Julie of the Wolves was an unexpected book for me to read. I was excited and surprised at how much I liked it, how much I felt it, and looked forward to reading it. It felt interesting to get in touch with my Scandinavian side and learn about the tundra, Eskimo-like life, etc. Whatever award it won fairly and I honestly enjoyed the tale.



I'm learning French with Pimsler. It's actually quite entertaining, I can listen to it while doing anything (like pirouetting) and, according to my family, I'm gaining an accent. Also, I think I've managed somehow to have more scheduled, organized posts (?) so I'm happy to be on that train bound for better blogging. 
I'm trying to be set for Nano (TOMORROW) and make sure I can at least write that 1,600 each day. Thanking God for all these great events.

I watched Newsies for the 1st time. The dancing...I want to dance like that.


My friend's face when she opens her birthday presents (would post a picture.....but I kinda think your gonna see it). SNOW. Okay I JUST HAD TOO. It feels like ages since I've been sledding. Wasn't I still 100% introvert last time I sled??? Oh, and, just found out our dance recital will be to the tune of "16 going on 17" from the Sound of Music.

 All the winter cozies.



Maybe perhaps a Christmas party at my youth group. Making new friends (yes, more) and all those exciting things that come with the end of the year. 

Such as, maybe...Christmas cookies.


How was your October?
Do you own a pair of moccasins (I want some!)
Have you had a lovely fall farm day?
Are you doing Nano?
Did you like 'Love Comes Softly' by Janette Oke?

Autumn

SEPTEMBER '16 Recap

12:44 PM



// Fun Stuff //

 Art fest. So inspiring & beautiful---saw some boots I wish I could fit into.
Youth group. I'm so happy youth group is back to it's normal schedule now. Word Wars, okay, just try a word war, because they work AMAZINGLY GREAT. I MEAN, REALLY. Knitting a salmon/red scarf with white tassel for myself (for Christmastime) before I begin the Christmas present stampede.


//Reading//

 Someone awesome's book who I'm not going to name but will know when I say this that her book is fantastic and you all will be reading it in due time so keep a look out. A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes is also on my shelf-or sitting in the living room, or on my bed. I'm sort of an old-book girl so this is a new one for me, and the plot is already fantastique so I'm hoping to like and read the next books after I conquer this one. The adventure is nice for a change. I was reading Jane Eyre. And was amazed with the beautiful writing style, even when I normally don't like first-person. Her story was harsh and brutal, and faithful. Recently, however, it took a turn, and I'm not sure what do to with it.
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//Enjoying//

The weather. I'm SO EXCITED for autumn and cocoa and books and books and books and Hallmark Christmas movies and marshmallows and Santa hats and pom-pom boots. The fishtail braid because it's so stylish and easy. Hoodies because I feel like I own a giant portable blanket.

//Looking forward//

To cooler weather and more jeans, ballet, the SPLITS (I'm so close, girl!) Nanowrimo & Christmas (I know but I can't help it. Lauren Daigle is making a Christmas album *whispers*). Also the super-fun-sounding activities my youth group is participating in.


What are you excited about for October & this winter & fall?
Have you read any of those books? 
How was your September? 
Did you like this post?
                                                                                 

beach

Summer BUCKET LIST Recap

6:20 PM


Go kayaking with friends on the bay


Read two L.M Montgomery books

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Bake a worthy chocolate cake

Walk to the 'cliff path' about 5 miles down the beach


Throw a 1950's party

Watch Jane Austen's "Love and Friendship" and "L.M Montgomery's Anne of Green Gable's" with my Momma

Read a fantasy

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Make two new friends

Make jam with wild raspberries

Harvest the watermelons I planted, and eat them

Perform another crazy skit with friends

Paint three fairly good paintings, one of a 1800's Mother and son

Enter a contest (and possibly win)

Go bike riding at the park

Spend one whole day, from dawn to dusk, at the beach


Wake up at dawn

Do something I've never done

Hold a literary contest on my blog

Learn five new, really adorable vintage hairstyles

Make my own ice cream

Watch Disney's "The Jungle Book"

Illustrate, and paint a scene in the Chronicles of Narnia

Learn how to do calligraphy with a brush
Buy a printed book of my very own novel, Sea Fair, and one of my collection of short tales

Host a 'completely British' tea with friends and family

Have a photo shoot with the doves

Read the book of Ruth

Go barefoot
Made a basket full of friends, skit was 100% laughs, not exactly at the beach at dawn, Strawberry was the funnest to draw....completed a sloppy fishtail braid...dove into a wave...ate sandwiches on the veranda...learned how to watercolor again................always barefoot.

Goodbye summer, come again.

beach

1950'S PARTY Recap

2:03 PM



I had my 1950's party!! *Hands out pink balloons and I Love Lucy discs*. Let me just say how thrilled I was at having the idea  for this. Ahhhhhh.

First I had to get the normal stuff....my theme was 50's, movies, and pink. Pink balloons, as well as pictures of 1950's movie scenes and models I had printed out and water colored, served as decor, with some teal and pink streamers.



Punch ( okay this is a must, I mean, this stuff was the bestest. Alden's strawberry ice cream + Zevia Cream Soda = fantabulous) was served in ball or jam jars with retro pink/striped soda straws.

A few friends and I headed down to the beach to go paddle boarding/swimming first. It was wonderful and marvelous at the beach...all low-tide and sand bar filled. Also some crabs...


When we came home and dried off, everyone came through the TIME PORTAL and into the 1950's! I mean, so cute! I'm in the mint green w/ floral skirt (which, by the way, I was wearing two to give it that extra 'fluff'). I was also wearing my Softspot sandals, and had my hair in pin-up curls with a bandanna.

We watched I Love Lucy (ooooh, you didn't think I was going to leave it out, did you???) and ate food. Hot dogs. Classic 50's junk food.

I'm so glad I got in the party before school came back, it half being like a last-bit-of-summer-vacation-party.


Before most everyone went home we had a marvelous time with an improv skit, which, by the way, are honestly the funnest things to do with friends.
 Everyone enjoys them and everyone remembers them. We did not, however, beg anyone for a mink stole, so rest assured on that point.

It was so much fun, and next time might be a 1960's party *emoji with wide eyes*.

See yeah later kids.

What era would your retro party be in?
What would you wear to a 1950's party?
Have you ever paddle boarded?