ABC... Simple As 123...

Two of my blog friends, Kirstie and Willie, did this little book survey on their blogs this week... so I decided to steal the idea.

My ABC's of Reading.

And if you don't care about books, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this post for a new feature on the blog!

It's Time to Wake Up!

Press play if you wish to have some mood music as you read:

Awesome Female Role Models - Rory Gilmore

If you've been following my Twitter lately... this week's awesome female role model shouldn't come as a surprise to you.

I recently bought the entire series of Gilmore Girls for a crazy good price off of another blogger, Neely, and naturally it's been playing non-stop in my living room ever since.

Warning - if you haven't watched the entire series, this post may contain spoilers.

I love all of the characters in this show - so please don't interpret this as I think Rory is a better person/role model than the others. I'm sure eventually they all will have their place on the blog. Rory is simply the first to get the spot.

Pruning

After hours of sitting in a chair at Starbucks, agonizing, reading, marking . . . it's done.

Well... at least the first phase.

I've completely re-read the first draft of my novel and notes cover almost every single page. Plot holes have been noted, lines crossed out, sections need to be rephrased, and chapters have to be completely rewritten. I then took a few days off of editing to brainstorm. I knew what needed to be worked on and had ideas of how to improve the story. It was messy, disjointed, and not very exciting.

September To Be Read Pile

It's the last week of August already? Honestly, after my summer of crazy I thought August was going to crawl along. Nope, there's only a few days left. Clearly, I have an awful sense of time. However, that means new book goals for September!

I didn't do too badly in August.

Books I planned to read and actually finished:

• Struck by Lightning by Chris Colfer- although I ended up reading it the last couple days of July!
• Love Does by Bob Goff

Everything You Wanted To Know

It's always good to have blog friends on Twitter, because they are always there to give you inspiration for your next blog post.

The lovely Rachel suggested that I write a post about things you need to know about me. Which actually fits because it's Friday (and who wants to think to hard on a Friday?) and I have been noticing some new faces around here in the comments. Let's get to know each other a bit better, shall we?

Here are ten things you need to know about me. Or at least ten things that might help you understand this blog better.

Throwback Thursday: Memory of a High School Teacher or Class

A majority of my high school career was spent in one hallway. The music hallway. My high school wasn't very big, so the band and choir rooms shared a hall where the band lockers were, and the backstage door for the auditorium opened into the hallway. I used to park my wheelchair by that backstage door. Being the music/theatre nerd that I am, I practically lived in that hallway. My senior year, I feel as though I rarely made it to my "real" locker because I kept everything in my band locker. My first semester senior year was as follows:

Zero Block - Jazz Band

First Block- Marching/Concert Band

Second Block- Drama

Third Block Part 1- Madrigals

SUPER FAST LUNCH

Third Block Part 2-  Concert Choir

Fourth Block- English 4

Awesome Female Role Models- Claire

The movie Elizabethtown came out in 2005. It stars Orlando Bloom, Kirstin Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, Judy Greer, and probably a bunch of other people. Even Paula Deen makes an appearance.

At first glance, you would think it's just a silly little movie with people far to pretty in it. Something to showcase Orlando Bloom after/during Pirates of the Caribbean and Lord of the Rings. See? Orlando Bloom really is a leading man! Which... it might be.

So Many People In My Head!

Over the weekend, I was able to get some much needed novel-editing done. I actually finished my first read-through of my first draft on Sunday! Which for some people may not be much of an accomplishment, but for me it is. I've never gotten this far in the process before and I'm really excited. I can't wait to get going on the rewrites and getting into draft 2. It'll be a pain to do, but again, it's the farthest I've gotten in the novel writing process and I want to keep the momentum going.

While I was editing, I was listening to 8tracks radio, and stumbled onto a playlist called The 12 Character Archetypes. The title explains it all. It was a playlist inspired by the 12 character archetypes and for writers needing a bit of character inspiration. Over the last couple of days it's become a new favorite playlist and it'll be used pretty often I'm sure during writing sessions.

Rediscovering My Bulls-Eye

Sigh... another week gone by and tomorrow is yet another Monday morning. (Well... right now... this post will go up Monday morning. I'm writing Sunday night.) The first big youth event of the school year is done, I have completed editing the first draft of my novel, I'm debating running to the grocery store to get some fudgebars, a small glass of wine is by my side, and I'm watching Anne of Green Gables the Sequel (thanks to Netflix). Not a bad Sunday night if you ask me.

I think I'm also mostly caught up on watching VEDA (Vlog Every Day August) videos on YouTube. Which is no small feat.

Throwback Thursday- Pucker Up!

So today's post accidentally went up before I had written anything.

Oops. Sorry guys. 

But anyways. It's Throwback Thursday with Bonnie's blog and the topic is.... first kiss.

Nothing like a good embarrassing first kiss story to make your day, right?

How about three?

Yup. I can never tell which story "counts" as my first kiss because I have three which could potentially be "the first one." So I'll let you decide! I'll share with you all each of my stories, and in the comments tell me which one you think is the real one. 

Awesome Female Role Models- Who Qualifies?

I'm going to be totally honest, with being in Chicago with my family and friends, I'm kind of having a lazy blog week.

I'm sitting here at my laptop at 7am, and I can't think of a single character to write about today for the Awesome Female Role Models series. Not that there aren't any I want to write about - there are a ton! But with my current state of mind, I feel like I wouldn't be able to do any of them justice.

So, instead, I'm going to give you all a run-down of what I feel like qualifies for an awesome female role model for this blog series.

Currently

After a 6 hour drive through boring Illinois and switching back and forth between musical soundtracks and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and quickly doing a video for VEDA today, it's nice to finally be at my parents house. Sitting in the kitchen while Mom cooks (I offered to help, but she wisely said she was fine as long as I brought my laptop out so I can sit with her and chat as she worked and I blogged. No one really wants me to help in the kitchen!) I can hear the news playing from the living room where my dad sits and feel a nice breeze coming through the back screen door.

I'm jealous of Chicago's weather this week and wish I could take it back with me to Missouri in a few days. Sunny and today's high was 70. I know some people love the heat, but 60s and 70s (and sometimes upper 50s!) are my absolute favorite temperature ranges! It makes me wish fall would get here already.

Some things that are happening currently in my life....

I am currently...

Sigh... Monday

Oh Monday morning, we meet again.

Even though I'm heading up to Chicago tomorrow for a quick vacation, in a way today is my "Friday," I still have the daunting feeling of "UGH... it's Monday." My latest VEDA (Vlog Every Day August) is loading because YouTube takes forever, my to-do list keeps getting longer, my coffee hasn't kicked in, and I've been running late because I hit my snooze button about three times this morning.

It's Monday.

Saying No To Say Yes

One of my favorite bloggers (whom I know I've talked about before, and I link up with every week for Throwback Thursday), Bonnie, has started Just Write Saturdays. A day to just write. No topic. Nothing. Just... whatever you want to write. 

I was going to pass it up. Saturdays are my blog day off. (As are Sundays unless I'm scheduling ahead.) 

But then I thought...

When was the last time I just wrote whatever was on my mind? Writing simply because I wanted to write?

Love Does

Yesterday and today I am attending the Global Leadership Summit hosted by Willow Creek (a big church up in Chicago) via a satellite church down here is Missouri that is showing it as a webcast.

I've gone to this for the last 3 years or so. I remember my first year I wasn't all that impressed. It was all right, but I was bored most of the time.

Last year was better. I didn't love every speaker, but there were some who blew me away. (Paranthia Timothy, she is amazing!)

So far this year, I have really enjoyed every single speaker. It's so hard to look through my notes and pick just one or two things that stood out to me because they all have! At least from yesterday... I haven't heard today's speakers. Therefore, I'm sure you'll see several posts the next few days inspired by these people.

Throwback Thursday - Childhood Friends

It's time for another episode of Throwback Thursday!!!!!

Today we're talking about childhood friends. I've already talked about my friend Julie and her sister Jen, and how all of us would go on vacations and such. I talk about Julie a lot on here actually, lol. (Hi!) So, while she is my childhood friend since we've known each other since birth... I felt like I should share the spotlight with some of my other childhood friends. I hope she doesn't mind. ;-)

I grew up above a funeral home and spent a lot of time in the hospital - so I didn't get to know the kids in my neighborhood very well. I didn't meet people on my block until high school and I remember them saying "I always wanted to know who lived in the funeral home." and I would say "I always wanted to know who lived in normal houses!" 

Awesome Female Role Models: Madeline

"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines..."

Hearing the first sentence of the classic book series brings to mind images of Paris, yellow hats, a tall nun, and little girls running around a large house.

And of course - the smallest one - Madeline.

I think I connected with Madeline when I was a kid for a few reasons. 

Stories Come to Life

While I was in Alabama last week, part of our team took a little field trip to Monroeville. We were pretty excited for a couple of reasons. One, it was nice to get away from the tiny town we were in and go back to a place with pavement and cell phone reception. Two, it is the hometown of Harper Lee and Truman Capote, and the inspiration for the book To Kill A Mockingbird.

Source

Disney Emailed Me!

Yes, you read that title correctly.

Disney emailed me this past week while I was in Alabama - AND they read my blog!

Why, you ask? Why would they seek out my tiny little blog and feel the need to email me about it?

Well...

When I returned home from Alabama, this weekend I did my best to try and catch up on life. Watching YouTube Videos, reading emails, etc. (I'm getting to all of your blogs today, I promise!) When I opened up my email, there was a message from someone at Disney. Apparently, months and months ago they had asked for submissions from people who had seen Newsies on Broadway for a book they want to release called : Newsies:  The Unlikely Story of a Broadway Hit. I didn't even remember submitting something for this until they sent me this message. They needed release forms signed so they have permission to add my story and photo to the book.

Friday Inspiration

It's Friday morning before a mission trip to Alabama when I'm writing this. My brain is fried from trying to think of devotions to write, working ahead so everything goes smoothly the week I'm gone, and I'm already tired thinking of the 5:30am departure time.

Which makes writing blogs in advance kind of difficult. Thankfully by the time you read this I'll be heading back home ready to get back to my "normal" routine.

In the meantime, since my brain is out of ideas, here are some things I've been seeing on the internet lately that have touched my heart.

Throwback Thursday: Favorite Summer Vacation

It's another edition of Throwback Thursday!!!!!! Don't you just love looking back into my childhood? Good times. 

Today's Topic: Favorite Summer Vacation

In all honesty, my family didn't go on many vacations in the summer. When I was really young we did Disney World and a few others, but I don't really remember them outside of photos. It was hard to go on vacation because my dad was a funeral director and you can't really plan when people die in advance... Then when my sister and I got older we were really busy in the summers with marching band and such, so we didn't have time for many vacations.