Hey There July

Hey friends,

It's July, and here I am, eight days in, still working on my wrap up post. Classic Lizzy, am I right? But because I delayed so long, I'm able to use a firework photo, so truly I think my procrastination benefitted us all. Speaking of fireworks, how was everyone's Independence Day? I absolutely love July 4th, and although I had to work in the morning, it was still a beautiful day full of laughter, friendship, smoke, BBQ, smiles, and peace. Always a wonderful way to start off the summer.

Currently// Laughing a lot because summer makes me happy, working and smelling like french fries 24/7, taking summer courses through my local community college because I apparently hate myself, rediscovering the joys of biking, living in a very messy room, loving my planner beyond my wildest dreams, and dreaming of many summer adventures.

Reading// The Amulet Series by Kazu Kibuishi. This is a middle grade graphic novel series and it's absolutely wonderful! I've read up to book five so far and I just love the adventure you get to follow and the beautiful artwork. 10/10 would recommend.

Enjoying// (hey it's me just wanting to say that so many of you had such amazing posts this month and if i could, i would give 20++++ shoutouts, but here are just a few of my faves). Cally's desperation binds with hope (because the emotions that wash off the words drown me in feels every time). Amanda's When God Doesn't Fix it (because sometimes God's plan is different than our own, and always is it better), Demi's Being Pulled 100 Different Directions (because Demi is the absolute sweetest and has brought such rich wisdom into my life), Hannah's Get Comfortable With Feeling Uncomfortable (because life is not about being in our own little happy bubble), Elissa's chasing pink sky (because wow we don't deserve grace, yet we've been given it), and Olivia's excerpts of life (because her writing just feels like summer and sweet laughter).

Loving// Sleeping under the stars and fireworks, smelling like smoke after the roasting of marshmallows, sweet old people who always have something nice to say, iced coffee in my hand and wind in my hair, waking up to the birds chirping, spontaneous sunset adventures with close friends, deep talks over coffee, and berry picking during warm summer evenings.

Disliking// How much summer classes are taking over my life, rude customers who just won't sit anywhere I tell them to, the lack of puppy cuddles I've been getting, working during the 4th of July, people telling me I am in fact not blonde anymore, and my family going on camping trips that I can't be a part of (seriously guys, rude).

Blogging// Hey There June, where I talk about what happened in May and the upcoming month of June; Life Right Now, where I share some pretty major things that happened in my life and give ya'll a mini update; and On Change, Being Left Behind, and Finding God's Voice, where I talk about life not always going as planned and learning how to let God truly lead me.

Hoping// To figure out this time management thing so I'm not working so hard to juggle school and work, find a good college group for bible study, spend more time with friends, get back in the groove of blogging, find a book that makes me fall in love with reading again, and actually check a few things off my summer bucket list.

How was your June? Any plans/hopes for this July? Summer is such a peaceful time of year, don't forget to take advantage of the season, enjoy some time outdoors, and laugh a lot with friends and family by your side.

Have a lovely day,

Elizabeth

Hey There June

Hello friends,

As always, I come to you with another wrap up post days later from when June actually started, but hey life is busy and who has time to be on time for everything? Certainly not me. May was a very busy month, but full of a lot of exciting news and June will be even more busy and full of wonderful events, so I'm excited to share with you all what's been happening. Hopefully in a week or two I'll be having some more in-depth posts on my life, but for now, this brief little update will have to do.

Currently// Gathering all the customer nightmare stories at my new job, graduating high school and realizing people know me really well (all my gifts were coffee related-YUM), preparing for my brother's wedding this Sunday, enjoying the sunshine Washington has been blessed with, writing like crazy for all my college classes because finals, trying to post on my Instagram more, and realizing my little brother's 16th birthday is in a week and I've got nothing for him (yet). 

Reading// The Good Rain by Timothy Egan because in my lit class we're studying creative nonfiction written about the Pacific Northwest, and honestly, it's not half bad! Also, Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery. There really is nothing more whimsical than being back in the lovely world of Anne. And Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson, which is a super cute summer contemporary that I'm very surprised hasn't disappointed me yet. So far so good.

Listening// To my summer playlist on Spotify, which is currently still a work in progress, but be my guest if you'd like to check it out. My little brother keeps making fun of me, saying each song is basically all the same, but I'm enjoying it so that's all that matters, right? :P He'll just have to put in his own headphones when I play it in the car.

Enjoying// Amanda's post, Enough: my battle with the hustle, the stress, and the busy, and how I found rest (because i think we can all relate and find the beauty in the busy). Julia's post, Glimpse Into Humanity // A Poem From Things I've Seen + Pretty Shadows (because wow have you read her writing because it hurts in every good way possible). Cally's post, core to my lips (because ouch it's like i'm there and feeling all the feelings). And Raquel's post, When You Don't Feel Like Loving God (because so much truth in this).

Loving// The warm weather that has finally arrived in Western Washington, the fast that school is almost done, receiving a mini french press for graduation, picking wildflowers while walking in the forest, afternoon badminton games with my lil bro, my big brother returning from the Air Force tomorrow, car rides with the windows down, Taco Bell's dollar menu, and quiet Saturday mornings reserved for reading and sipping coffee.

Disliking// Being the newbie at work and figuring out life, having a receipt thrown in my face, road work that disappears for a week then surprises you again and makes you late for everything, leaving for class when my dog is still asleep, the fact that coffee costs so much money, swimsuit shopping, and the tragedy of flies getting in your room and not being able to catch them.

Blogging// Hey There May, where I talk about what happened in April and my hopes for May; Travel Diary: Multnomah Falls and Beacon Rock, where I invite you to explore two beautiful places with me; and Five Ways to Have the Ultimate Family Night, where I share all the ingredients for having the perfect family night without spending too much money.

Hoping// To pick up all the things I need for the wedding, finish the rest of my home subjects, figure out work without too much confusion, finish my college classes with a bang, learn how to make relatively easy and healthy dorm room meals, explore the outdoors more, be kind even when it's difficult, and grow more in my relationship with the Lord.

How was your May? Any exciting changes happening or coming up? Leave me a comment down below and tell me about your life (please, I'm nosey and want to know).

Have a wonderful week,

Elizabeth

Hey There May

Hello friends,

How are you on this beautiful May day? Currently it's about 60 degrees and sunny here in lovely Washington. Yes I complain about the weather here a lot, but at the end of the day, I do love where I live and how green and clear spring days can be. But enough with the weather, April has been a crazy month and it's time to talk about it. And yes, I come to you with another monthly wrap up post a week late, it's just a pattern I'm sticking to apparently. I feel like every post ever on my blog this year has been talking about how busy I am, but guys it's just that it's senior year and I really am SO busy. It feels so good to be writing again, though, I'm glad to be back.

Currently// Job searching because I need to afford college, preparing to graduate from high school, collecting a giant sweet n sour stash, reading more PNW literature than I ever imagined, listening to Jim Dale's Harry Potter audio books, celebrating my puppy's first birthday, writing excessively for school and then writing some more, and preparing for college because GUYS I GOT ACCEPTED INTO MY DREAM SCHOOL. *shoots off all the confetti*

Reading// The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight In Heaven by Sherman Alexie. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit skeptical when going into this short story collection. First off, I had no idea what it was about, but mostly I just don't really enjoy short stories. I'm reading this for my lit class, and I've ended up really enjoying it. All our discussions are fantastic and Alexie's stories have so much to unpack. I'm also reading Dizzy In Your Eyes: Poems About Love by Pat Mora. I just recently read a poetry collection and was super unsatisfied with it, but this collection I'm enjoying quite a bit more.

Listening// Thanks to Miss Elissa, I've now been obsessed with listening to the Broadway soundtrack of the Little Mermaid because wow, it's so amazing. Elissa was involved in a local theater program that was redoing the show, so after watching the performance I just become obsessed with the music and characters. Definitely worth taking a listen.

Enjoying// Sophia's post, Lonely Friday Braids (because the pictures but also everything she says is just like yup, i get it). Clara's post, I Never Really Knew If You Were My Lighthouse or My Storm (because so much emotion and beauty). Lindsey's post, 4.28.17 (because i can so relate and yes he is so so good). Sami's post, Fireproof (because she's an amazing writer and the imagery is just so perfect). And Julia's post, The Crutch (because wow i love her and she's always challenging me).

Loving// The beautiful days Washington has been getting, drinking iced lattes, learning new skills, belting out to awesome musicals in the car, Tuesday morning breakfasts with my grandpa, kind strangers, awesome finds from the thrifstore, a dress that makes me feel like Tinker Bell, and evenings full of laughter, friends, breadsticks, and dancing.

Disliking// Awkward interview happenings, being a klutz and spilling water on my desk three times in one week, having another cold and having to sniffle 1000 times while in class, having a super awesome person live all the way across the country from me, and giving up one great thing in exchange for another.

Blogging// Hey There April, where I talk about my March happenings and April goals, and Travel Diary: Portland, Oregon, where I discuss how my trip to Portland went and share some pictures.

Hoping// To find a job with enough hours, spend less money on food, do well on my upcoming midterms, procrastinate less and have more time to sleep, figure out college registration, deep clean my room, and find more time to read outside of school assignments.

How was your April? Any exciting news to share? I'd love to hear it! Guys I'm so excited to be accepted into my dream school, but preparing to leave has been so crazy, so I apologize for being so absent recently. Hopefully all is going well in the blogging world and I'll be jumping back in soon.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Elizabeth

Hey There April

Hello,

Wow, it's April, April!! I'm not quite sure where all the time has gone, seriously it feels like March went by in a flash. The first half of March was spent stressing over finals and the SATs, and then the second half was spent working and enjoying spring break. Now it's April and I'm back at it with school. But March, although as fast as it went by, it was quite an enjoyable month. Even with stressful finals, it was nice to check off a lot of stuff off my to-do list. I'm quite looking forward to April as well, along with the upcoming months. A lot of exciting things are happening (awesome classes, weddings, new jobs) and I'm pretty pumped to share a few of my life happenings with all you lovely people this spring.

Currently// housesitting for Elissa's family and chilling with her adorable dog, taking some awesome new classes at my community college, face timing Julia just because she's awesome, low key in love with my new blog design, attempting to create a pretty note-taking system for art history, trying to catch up on school so I can graduate, taking senior pictures, and writing a mini novel in verse (maybe).

Reading// A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and let me tell you, I'm really not a fan. The writing, although not bad, is not the type of style I enjoy, the main character is very distant and the narrative is just super odd. The story itself is also just not my favorite. I then started Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte and wow I'm in love and only 40 pages in. I adore Anne's style of writing and Agnes herself is such a real character. So far so good.

Listening// I've been listening to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack nonstop lately. I went and saw the movie a couple weeks ago with a friend, and then my mom and I went and saw it again while on our trip in Portland, and I fell in love with it even more. Classic music, plus the 2017 version has Obi Wan singing so obviously it's fantastic. 

Enjoying// Julia's post, where is the beauty (because whoa she is so talented and gives me all the feels). Elissa's post, hey there tired soul (because everyone needs to hear these words). Addy's post, two months (because everything about this was breathtaking). Raquel's post, The Righteous In This City (because God is good and it was so thought provoking). Cally's post, hope (because everything she writes makes me cry and I love her). And Clara's post, fragile (because so much scary truth).

Loving// spontaneous facetimes with awesome people, sunny days giving me excuses to wear sandals, road-trips with my lovely mother, bookstores that take up an entire block, buying new sweaters because discounts, Carl's Jr.'s waffle fries, starting new art journals, and spring break allowing me to sleep in and relax a little bit.

Disliking// rush hour traffic, yummy french fries making me fat, starting school again and forcing myself to wake up early, scaring myself by watching criminal minds before I go to bed, forgetting to pack food and my stomach making scary noises during class, headaches, and excessive ammounts of rainy days. 

Blogging// Hey There March, where I talk about my February happenings and March goals. Blessed is the One Whom God Corrects // Job 3-5, where I talk about Job and how God uses trials to shape us. And Top Five Winter Reads + Reading Stats, where I talk about my favorite reads of the past few months and how my reading year is going.

Hoping// to figure out how each of my classes work, get my SAT scores back, find out if I get accepted to my top college, force myself to work out more, eat out less, join a small group and dig deeper into God's word, and laugh more than I roll my eyes. 

How was your March? Any exciting spring break trips coming up (or ones that already happened?) And seriously can you believe it's April already? Guys where is the time going, this year is going by crazy fast.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Elizabeth 

Hey There March

Hello,

Well well well, look at that, it's almost spring! Can we all just take a minute and realize how crazy that is? Seriously, two months have already passed, yet I continue to call 2017 the new year. I'm nearing the end of the quarter, with only one week left of classes and then college finals! (yay but also not). I'm really looking forward to this March, though. Sure, I have finals and will be taking the SAT, but I also get a few weeks of break, plenty of time to relax and read, a possible road trip, and find out whether or not I'm going to university next year. It's safe to say March will be a good month, or so I hope. But still, IT'S MARCH like how?? I can't get over it.

Currently// Housesitting far away from home and spending time with two adorable pups, eating way too many pop tarts and not enough carrots, dealing with Washington's extreme bipolar weather, approaching finals week and freaking out because nope, writing way too little and watching Netflix way too much, being awkward every time I pass someone anywhere and pretend to suddenly be super interested in the ground, and drinking mango smoothies whenever I get the chance.

Reading// Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake and honestly guys I'm really disappointed with it. It sounded SO good yet all it has is semi good writing, terrible pacing, way too many side characters, and really disturbing relationships and insta love. Also, Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, which I'm also not loving so far. I find the writing to be very immature, the love interest to have no character whatsoever, and the protagonist to be inconsistent. But the atmosphere of this book is so cool and I love how creepy and gruesome it is (don't judge I promise I'm not a creep).

Listening// I'm been listening to the soundtrack of Sweeney Todd nonstop lately. I'm not sure what it is, but I find it to be perfect reading/writing music. I'm also really into my God Time Playlist over on my spotify. It's a wonderful way to start off my day while on the way to school, or while getting ready to go. Singing praises to God always starts my day off right.

Enjoying// Julia's post, You Gotta Do It (because wow she is so inspiring and beautiful). Aimee's post, I'm Tired of YA (because yes this is everything i've been thinking in a post). Elissa's post, Being Raw in a Pulled-Together World (because wow she gets me every time and i love her). Cally's post, Keep Hope / new, old (because guys everything she writes is gorgeous and makes my heart sing). And Sarah's post, Flashback Alert || Childhood - Do You Remember? (because whoa so many childhood memories and feelings).

Loving// Drinking pomegranate juice and freaking others out by making them think I'm drinking red wine, writing snippets of poetry during class lectures, girl scout cookies and their sent from heaven thin mints, cuddles with Murphy while watching Friends and drinking tea, face-timing with Elissa and Julia and squealing about life, nice police officers who apologize for pulling me over, and the smell of fresh cucumber skin products.

Disliking// Preparing for finals week, showing up to housesit and realizing there is no coffee maker, going a week without Murphy kisses, books with cringe worthy romances, sun turning to rain turning to snow turning to mush turning to rain turning to snow, being cold all the darn time, mean drivers who don't let me merge onto the freeway, and living thousands of miles away from Julia and not being able to go on adventures with her all the time.

Blogging// Hey There February, where I say hello to February and discuss what's been happening. Chats Over Coffee #2 // On Vulnerability, where I talk about why vulnerability is important and how you can incorporate it into your life. And I'm a Bad Blogger // Tired Eyes and No Words, where I vent about being a bad blogger and confess how much I miss everyone.

Hoping// To crush my finals and end with a bang, study well for my SATs and get them over with, get accepted into my dream university, write with more intention, spend more time reading and less time staring at a screen, journal small snippets of my day, and be joyful in all circumstances.

How was your February? Can you believe it's March already? Guys I now I say that in every wrap up but whoa time is going by so quickly! If you don't mind, I may just go hide in a hole for a few days and contemplate my life. Anyone with me?

Have a wonderful week,

Elizabeth