DEAR SENIOR YEAR, [pt. 2!]

It seems like it was just yesterday that I wrote my post, "Dear Senior Year." In actuality, it was published aaaalllll the way back in August. (um, what. I don't understand how time passes by so quickly. SOMEONE GET ME A TIME TURNER. Anywho. *cough*) That post began with how fall was quickly approaching and now here we are, with spring about to arrive. (at least if the snow decides to ever disappear. -.-) 

Since I started my senior year with a blog post, now it only seems fitting that I end it with one. Hopefully this post doesn't turn out to be too sappy, but I won't make any promise since I'm a deeply emotional person. xD

dear senior year,

You've finally come to an end. Twelve years of school, countless hours, two thousand, one hundred, and sixty days in all... completed. Done. I won't be facing the textbooks in the fall after a summer break. I won't sit cross-legged on my grey folding chair any longer, with a blanket wrapped around me like a burrito. I won't have to grit my teeth through frustrating battles with stubborn math problems. (<<< hallelujah to the last one!) 

I'm finished, and for some reason that's a terrifying thought.

I've explained this before, but school and I have never been the best of friends. I'm an impatient, hands on type of person, and the prospect of sitting at a desk all morning to think through difficult concepts until my head hurts? ... eh, I'll pass. I've never liked school, but now that I'm done, I realize how comforting school was. (never dreamed of writing that sentence, ha!)

I explored the idea of comfort + school a little bit in my last senior post, but it's become more evident now that I've graduated. When in school, my purpose/task was set out for me. I woke up every morning, and I didn't need to think about cars and jobs and money and ~adult responsibilities~. 

I feel a bit like Bilbo Baggins. I was in the routine of the life that I was accustomed to, living comfortably in my Bag End home, eating lots of pizza and other good food. But then I opened the door for the dwarves, and now I'm getting dragged on this new and stretching journey in life. (BOOM! ADULTHOOD! OFF ON AN ADVENTURE YOU GO!)

(as I reread that analogy it's a pretty awful one and isn't very similar to my situation, but I'll take any opportunity to call myself Bilbo Baggins and pretend to be a hobbit thank you very much.)

It's been weird having people say, "Congratulations on graduating!" Sometimes it seems like the concept of me being done with high school is easier for them to believe than it is for me. Every morning I wake up expecting to trudge back to my school desk, but then remember -- wait! I'm done! (so then I proceed to make coffee and spend the morning writing which has made mornings actually enjoyable)

And once the "congratulations" take place, the inevitable question strikes: "So... what are you going to do with your life?" [psst, go read nadine's wonderful post about this dreaded question]

Oh. Yay. *existential screaming*

Though I make fun of the question, I do understand. I'm a naturally curious person and would want to know my Top Secret Plans if I were them. But the problem is that I'm me and I still ask myself everyday what it is that I'm going to do with my life. :P

Unfortunately, I don't have any Top Secret Exciting Plans. I'm not going to college because a) I have no idea what I'd go for, and b) I don't want to go just to go and spend all that time and money.

So instead, for now, I'm going to keep working at Starbucks (yay for free caffeine! (<< thank goodness for spell check because I cannot spell "caffeine" for the life of me). I'm going to search for a second job and hopefully settle into a routine that I enjoy.

I may not have as much time to write, but you better believe that I'll spend the spare moments I have chipping away at my novels, taking those baby steps toward publication. Writing is something that I don't think I can ever give up, no matter how insane and chaotic life gets.

We'll see where this crazy journey of life takes me. As intimidating as it can be, I'm excited to see what God has in store for me. :D

Well, those are my scattered senior updates! A lot of my blogging/writing friends are going through the same life changes of becoming adults, graduating, and having change fly at them, so it's comforting to know that I'm not the only one. We can all freak out together! :P

Have a wonderful weekend. <3

<3,
katie grace

are you experiencing change? like it? hate it?

NEW FINDINGS OF 2017

I love to babble excitedly about things I'm passionate about -- I mean, who doesn't? 2017 has been a fantastic year for discovering all sorts of epic new stuff. I've been mentioning a few in my monthly highlights throughout the year, but I wanted to consolidate my favorites into one, big post. Here's a list of my new findings (specifically: music, books, and movies) of 2017.

(I wanted to write this later in the year since it's meant for the entirety of 2017... but next month is NaNo and December is my blogging break, so I guess it's now or never. xD)

M U S I C:
(links are going to lead to YouTube, though the songs are available on Spotify)

(pictures in this post are not mine.)

>> ARTISTS <<

aurora
nature boy //  half the world away

Her music is absolute PERFECTION for writing -- especially for fantasy stories! She has a hauntingly beautiful voice and gorgeous, lyrical songs. I find them very calming yet an exceptional background for writing evil scenes. xD

[if you like her music, consider giving a listen to the music artists fleurie and ruelle!]

nf
oh lord // real // know

(technically I discovered his music last year... but I didn't start consistently listening to it until this year, so)

Please let me take a moment to scream because he just released a new album yesterday! *screams* I haven't listened enough to create any concrete opinions, but so far I really like it. I'm partial to the song Know (linked above) just because it has a Twenty One Pilots reference in it. o.o So that's awesome. xD

If you don't usually listen to rappers, still give him a try because his lyrics are just so powerful and emotional. You may find this weird, but I almost always listen to NF's music while writing blog posts. I don't know why?? But there's something about the intense word-spitting that gets my fingers flying across the keyboard. xD

(forgot to mention that he is a Christian rapper and his songs are clean so you don't have to worry about any language or gross stuff like that. :P he's not afraid to talk about heavy themes, though.)

>> SONGS <<

underground

cody fry

THIS SONG. <3 I have a soft spot for simple songs that just tell a story, and this is exactly what Underground does. Ugh, I don't know why I love it so much, but I can't help but smile each time I hear it. This song creates such strong visuals in my mind!

i built a friend

alec benjamin

The first time I heard this song was when a dancer performed to it, and it was so beautiful and heart-touching that I immediately started to cry. IT'S SO MOVING I CANNOT. I recommend watching the dance with the song for the best experience. :P

(also... even though I was crying when I first heard this, I was extremely creeped out because I HAVE A STORY IDEA THAT IS SO. SO. SIMILAR TO THIS. Like, crazily similar. It's like they stole the idea out of my head, switched a few details, and then made it into this epic song. Seriously. It's weird.) 

{other songs}

haze // dreamers // maybe IDK // caught in the middle // we'll grow up another day // waking up again // where were you

B O O K S:

This year I've tried to be more realistic with my book ratings. When I was younger I basically rated every book five stars -- maybe four if I really wasn't feeling it. But now as I scroll through my Goodreads I don't know which books were actually worth five stars. Sigh. So here's the general outline of my rating system:

five stars: WOW THIS BLEW MY MIND I PROBABLY READ IT IN ONE SITTING AND EVERYONE AND THEIR DOG MUST READ THIS BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE.

four stars: It was a really good book! I maybe have one or two problems with this book, or it just didn't have that extra magic of "oh my goodness I can't." o.o

three stars: didn't love it, didn't hate it. 'twas "fine."

two stars: well... I finished it! but... it was a struggle. like trying-to-walk-in-high-heels-on-a-tightrope-over-a-sea-full-of-crocodiles sort of struggle.

one star: most likely didn't finish this book. urghhh. reading this story was like getting bitten by one of those crocodiles in the sea under the tightrope. (okay, that sounded harsh. but... there's probably a reason I'm rating the book one star. xD)

OKAY THAT WAS A HUGE BUNNY TRAIL. Anyway, all of that and describing my system was to introduce my five star reads of 2017. So far I've only read four 5-star books, which is a little disappointing, but I also haven't read as many books as previous years. And I really really love these books. *hugs them to death* I almost think they're due for another reread. ;)

(links will lead to goodreads if you click on the author's name)

midnight at the electric
jodi lynn anderson

I've flailed over this book before, BUT PLEASE LET ME FLAIL OVER IT AGAIN. I randomly picked it up at the library because I thought the title was pretty. I glanced at the back cover blurb, saw the word mars, and knew that I had to at least give it a try.

(advice: don't start book at 11:15pm. you will unavoidably stay up past midnight and suffer from an aching back and tired eyes the next morning)

This is the kind of story I want to write. The author has such a way with words, flowing beautifully and lyrically. It's not a huge action book -- there aren't world ending disasters and explosions. Instead it's about family histories that span generations. It's about loss and friendship and getting to know the hearts of the characters. IT'S JUST SO GOOD.

The mood/aesthetic occasionally gave me Interstellar type vibes? (which makes even more sense as to why I loved this book, haha)

scorpio races
maggie stiefvater

So. Confession: I first picked this book up three or four years ago, gave it a try, and stopped a couple chapters in and decided that it was the most boring book to ever exist. I WAS SO WRONG. I must've been in the wrong mood or something, because I completely adored it when I gave it a second try! One difference is that I listened to it on audiobook this time, so... maybe that's what changed my mind?

But, ugh. Super gorgeous, lyrical writing. <3

angel eyes

shannon dittemore

I honestly wasn't expecting to like this book very much. I've never been the type to be intrigued by books with Christian paranormal elements, but Nadine told me that she read it in one sitting, so I decided to pick it up.

And then I never set it down until I finished it. That's huge, because I haven't read a book in one sitting for a looong time. This book has a little of everything. Action, adventure, mystery, a touch of romance, a touch of humor.

This book is Christian fiction book, and it had some very poignant and thoughtful messages. Usually Christian messages don't strike me as much in books, but this one did. And the angel characters didn't seem odd -- they were done carefully and the author handled it well. :D

real friends

shannon hale

Now as I'm going over my list of five star books, I realize that they all have one thing in common: I've read them in one sitting. (excluding The Scorpio Races, but that was a ten-hour-long audiobook, so.) :P

Real Friends was an extremely quick read -- it probably only took me a half an hour. It was so cute! The majority of the book is actually based on the author's life and her struggles with friendship, which made it extremely heartfelt and relatable. READ IT.

M O V I E S:

spider-man homecoming

I mean... this movie probably doesn't come as a surprise to you, seeing that I wrote an entire blog post about my extreme love for it. So I'll just link to that instead of rambling about it here. xD

dunkirk

*sighs happily* I'm not one for war movies, but I love Christoper Nolan's work, and the trailer was amazing, so I tagged along with my dad when he went to the movie theater to see it. I'm so glad I did. It's a very unique movie and it's hard to put it into words. There's hardly any dialogue, hardly any focus on the characters. << sounds like a horrible idea, right? But it worked so perfectly. It's like the movie was made up of little moments instead of a giant, complex plot. Just go see it -- you'll understand what I'm saying when you do.

{OTHER GOOD MOVIES}

gifted // the theory of everything // the greatest game ever played // rewatched Civil War for the sixth time, hehe // rewatched the Harry Potter series

- - -

PHEW YOU MADE IT TO THE END (presumably. maybe everyone gave up halfway through :P *hands you cookies if you did survive until the end*). I think this was the longest blog post I've ever written. Which makes sense since this took four hours to write and format and edit. *naps for seven years* *or maybe just until NaNo*

<3.
katie grace

what are your new findings of 2017?

END OF THE YEAR GOALS // 2017

"Huh," you may say as you read the title of this post. "This sounds familiar." 

Observant reader, it is familiar to you for a good reason. I've done two End of the Year Goals posts before -- one in 2015, and the other in 2016. I never feel like they're the most interesting topic... but they always turn out to be one of my most popular blog posts??? 

This is a fun and easier blog post to make, so hey -- I'm not complaining. xD Let's get into my goals for the end of the year.

1. NANOWRIMO

• this one is so obvious I'm not even sure why I bother mentioning it.
• I'm hoping to do more coffeeshop writing this November! I mean, I work at a coffeeshop, so that works out nicely. I can stay before and after shifts and enjoy a steaming cup of chai/coffee. <3
• Speaking of coffee, I have a tradition of buying myself a coffee mug each year for NaNo.  AND HAVE YOU SEEN THE MERCH FOR THIS YEAR?!? It's all superhero themed, which is brilliant, since I'm writing a superhero story.
• I've refrained for three years from buying any NaNo merch, so I'm taking this as a sign that I must buy my first NaNo T-Shirt. :D
• I was talking to Jane in the comments of one of my other posts, and we were discussing this fear that we'd suddenly forget how to write. That I wouldn't be able to write fast, and when I sat down to make the words happen... they just wouldn't come. It's the type of fear that would take place in a writer's nightmare. I know it's illogical... but I find myself thinking it year after year.

2. PLOT MY NOVEL!

• because in order to write a novel, I kind of need a plot. 
• (I suppose this is optional, since I've chosen to forgo it before... but that method is not recommended if I want to keep most of my sanity while editing.)
• [but no matter what I guess I'll lose some sanity while editing. heh.]
• Another NaNo fear: what if I can't find a plot?
• That fear had better not become a reality, because I don't have a plan B. 
• My method of plotting:
• brain-dumping all "what ifs" and "possible ideas" onto a notebook page
• do the above step multiple times until there's a rough over-arcing plot structure
• cry
• eat food
• preferably pizza
• or cookies
• or both
• then use the magical snowflake method!

3. BRAINSTORM BLOG POSTS

• going along with this theme of "fears..." I also fear that someday I'll run out of blog content to produce.
• which is another Stupid Fear because there's always something to blog about.
• like hippos
• or rhinos
• or pizza!
• ahem.
• but anyway, I want to be prepared for next year. I hate panicking on Friday night, wondering what to blog about... so by brainstorming ahead of time I can avoid the last-minute-writing-long-past-midnight.
• (so if you have any posts you'd like me to write about... do let me know)
• Since NaNoWriMo is coming up... I've been thinking about what I want to do blogging wise during November. The past couple years I've done weekly NaNo wrap up posts. Are those still interesting? 

4. KEEP MY ROOM CLEAN

• HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
• ha.
• I may seem like I would be a neat and orderly person, seeing that I enjoy clean and minimalist and aesthetic looking things... but my room is a catastrophic disaster 97% of the time.
• BUT having a clean room inspires me, so especially with NaNoWriMo coming up (sorry for continually reminding you oops), I want my writing area to be as motivating as it can be. 

5. ACQUIRE ANOTHER PAIR OF FUZZY SOCKS

• Fuzzy socks are magical.
• actually, socks in general are magical.
• that is all there is to say about this goal. 
• boo cold, frozen feet.
• yay comforting, warm socks.

6. BRAINSTORM BULLET JOURNAL

• so far I've been keeping up with my bullet journal throughout the year (yay!), but I'm hoping to do some new things with it in 2018.
• right now it's more of a to-do list/planner, and while that's super helpful and motivating... I want to make it into more of an artsy journal.
• because I won't want to look back on my to-do lists in ten years (they'll probably still all look the same: write, edit, blog, work. :P), but if I make it more personal, it's like a memory book of sorts! That's something future me will definitely want to flip through.
• with things like:
• memories
• quotes
• doodles
• souvenirs/letters
• printing out some pictures??
• journal entries
• thoughts about life
• writing prompts
• [along with the planners and to-do lists]
• the prospect of a new year can sometimes be overwhelming, so this is one way I can hype myself up for 2018. xD (but shh it's still three months away so I shall refrain from talking about it)

<3,
katie grace

what are three things you want to accomplish by the end of the year?

DEAR SENIOR YEAR,

In a few weeks, it will be fall. It's hard to believe -- as a barista I'm bracing myself for the pumpkin-spice craving rampages, and as a student I'm bracing myself for my final year of school. *distant, terrified screaming*

A while back I wrote "dear senior year" as an idea for a blog topic. I honestly can't remember what sort of route I wanted to take this, but it sounds like a letter to the upcoming school year, so I'm going to treat it as such. It might be more of a rambling, "here's what's currently on my mind" type of post, but we'll give it a try.

dear senior year,

I thought you'd never come.

I know -- I'm wrong to doubt -- but I remember being a little girl counting down the years on my fingers until I'd graduate school. First I had to use both hands, all ten fingers for ten years, but eventually I only needed one hand, and now I can count my remaining year on one finger.

No matter how many times I tell this to myself, it doesn't seem to sink in: I'm graduating in less than a year. I'm going to be an adult in less than a year.

Um. What. (???!)

Half of me is still convinced that I am a little child. I'm writing this post on my desk, and just yesterday I spontaneously danced in the rain. I don't like vegetables. Animated movies are my favorite. I don't play and make believe stories with my dolls anymore, but I do that with characters and isn't that basically the same thing?

But then the other half is me is so ready. I've never been one to enjoy school, and the thought of working instead actually excites me. Still -- it's scary and involves adulting and even more busyness.

I remember watching the seniors in our Church -- they stood around in circles and talked instead of playing games. They were so much older and mature and welcoming and kind. Now it's crazy to think that I'm in their position. Except I don't feel as mature as they looked. You bet I'm playing a gym game if there's a chance. :P

Life, from now until this time next year, is going to change an insane amount. Graduating! Turning 18! Full-time job! Possibly querying! Buying a car! Writing two books! Publishing fifty more blog posts! Hopefully making new friends! Strengthening old friendships! 

Lots and lots of new things. o.o

I'm realizing that, even though I really don't like school, there's something strangely comforting about it. It's what I've done for twelve years of my life -- there's ease in the known! There's no thinking about what comes next; I just do the next lesson in my workbook day after day after day after day...

But I'm learning that transitions like this will happen all throughout my life. I'm a writer, obviously (hopefully that's not hard to figure out). Lord willing, I'll eventually transition from this book writing stage to the publishing world. It'll be the scary unknown of graduating highschool all over again.

The unknown is daunting -- the uncertainty of "what's going to come next?" But do you know what's the good thing about all of this?

No one goes through the journey of life alone.

It may seem like it at times, I know, but even when people fail you, God is still there. Everyone is struggling with something in their life, and he's there for all of it. 

And that's one of the most comforting things (yes, even more comforting than a giant cheese pizza in your lap while curled up in a fuzzy blanket watching the best movie ever) in the world. 

I'm not sure what this post turned into... but enjoy or relate or take from it what you will. Sometimes blog posts turn into an overhaul of thoughts. xD

<3,

katie grace

what new experiences is fall bringing for you?

GROWING OLDER + some thoughts on that

Tomorrow I'll be seventeen years old.

This post isn't searching for birthday wishes and hopes of a great day. But since I'll be celebrating my day of birth tomorrow, growing older has been on my mind a lot.

I don't have a specific topic for this post (though that might change by the end of it) -- I just wanted to ramble about age and growing older and those general things. Enjoy. :P

People will soon ask me how it feels to be seventeen (they always do after a birthday, and it's an odd question because everyone knows that it really doesn't feel different at all). I've already gotten questions as to whether I'm excited to be seventeen or not. I don't know how to answer that. Age is a weird thing.

But... Am I excited to be seventeen?

Yes... and no.

Yes, because there's always a certain sort of thrill that comes about with growing older. This means new opportunities and more freedom and staying up later! (okay, maybe not the staying up later part. I've already mastered that. :P)

No, because there's so little time in life.  One of Switchfoot's lyrics explains this well:

LIFE IS SHORT / I WANT TO LIVE IT WELL

I want to do so many things, yet look at how quickly the years are already slipping away! I want to write and I want to meet people and I want to experience all the things... while also staying inside and typing away for hours on end. :P

Ideally, I'd live a full, long life to a hundred years old, filled with many birthdays that include BOOKS! Hypothetically speaking, that would mean I'm only 17% done with my life. I could have lots of my life ahead of me, but unfortunately there's no knowing when my time will come.

Yeah, that can be kind of depressing. But it's also extremely motivating -- am I living each day to their full potential? I might only have ten years left in this world; I might have eighty-two. I don't want to regret how I've lived my life. I'm in my teen years! I'm in prime condition for doing all the things! This is my time to experiment and experience the world and figure out where I want to go for the rest of my life.

It's easy for me to glorify staying inside, binge-watching TV shows or scrolling through social media. And don't get me wrong, it's great fun and relaxation is needed... but I don't want that to sum up my teen years. It's awful how often social media distracts me. I could be writing or reading or talking or drawing or playing music instead! There are so many better ways I can spend my time rather than just scrolling through my Twitter feed. I'm determined to become better at doing rather than thinking about doing -- that's one of my goals for the seventeenth year.

Talking about this, it makes me a little excited (yet still nervous :P) to turn seventeen. It's fueling motivation and getting me ready to continually grow in God, friendship, writing, and other aspects of life.

little tiny katie on the left and her little tiny sister, laura, on the right. (people asked if we were twins back then and they still do now. excUSE ME BUT I'M THREE YEARS OLDER. oh well. :P)

OKAY CAN I JUST AWKWARDLY CHANGE SUBJECTS AND MENTION HOW WEIRD NOSTALGIA IS?? It's such an odd feeling -- bittersweet, in a way. I'm listening to a track of lullabies that put me to sleep every. single. night. when I was younger, and if I close my eyes, it's like I'm seven years old again. My three favorite stuffed animals are curled up under my arms, my nightlight is basically as bright as the sun, and my room is still a faded, soft pink.

(hello, it's future-editing-katie bobbing in. I just finished the lullaby track and find it funny that I don't recognize any of the later songs since I was always asleep by that point. Huh. Anyways. xD)

I think one of the reasons nostalgia is weird, is because of the bittersweet feeling. I think of the memories -- little high-pitched giggles, a piece of chocolate before bed, playing playmobile with my sister for HOURS on end, my favorite sweatshirt that I refused to stop wearing even when it was three sizes too small -- and a rush of happiness runs through And then I'm almost a bit sad, because that phase of my life is over, and I'll never go back to being seven again. Ever. Eek. o.O

Which brings me back to the other points I've talked about in this post, and how I want to make sure that I'm making every moment matter. 

There are my brain  I hope the rest of your day is lovely and that you can make it awesome. xD

<3,
katie grace

any thoughts to add?

what makes you nostalgic?

C U R R E N T L Y

I hope everyone's day is off to a good start, and even if it's not... that it gets better quickly. Eat pizza. Pizza always helps. ;)

There's been a lack of inspiration this past week, so after stretching my mind to think of a blog topic, I finally decided to keep it simple and let my mind run free in a bunch of rambles. Autumn just did this on her blog, so full credit goes to her for this idea. Go give her lots of love because she's amazing. <3

READING

I'm reading through the Harry Potter series right now! Rereading, actually, since this is my third time. My parents are both reading them for the first time, so its been fun sitting around the living room having serious book discussions with my family. We all took the Pottermore sorting house quiz a couple days ago, and we all turned out to be Hufflepuff. Guess we're all a bunch of loyal softies. xD

Also looking forward to reading The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morril. It looks amazing. o.o

EATING...

My sister loves to bake (I've been very blessed by this hobby of hers xD), so she's been making these mini mug brownies for us in the evening. *dies of deliciousness* THEY'RE SO GOOD. Especially when I add ice cream to them. Warm brownies + homemade ice cream = WIN.

Otherwise I can be found eating pizza. Obviously. 

WISHING...

Really wishing for sunlight so I can finally take some pictures! Either I work when it's sunny out, or the sun has stubbornly hid its face behind the clouds. I just received Abi's amazing book, Martin Hospitality, in the mail, so I can't wait to hold a lil' photo shoot with its lovely cover. (seriously, it's so gorgeous. I adore watercolor covers <3)

Also wishing for some inspiration. That'd be sweet. (what would be even sweeter if there was a shop for writers, and you could buy Inspiration Chocolate which caused millions of epic ideas to spark in your mind. (that was extremely random and I'm not sure where that came from. whoops.))

WRITING...

Ahh, writing. With the dreadful realization that I had to rewrite my novel for the second time, this forced me to push back all my deadlines a few months. *cries* I'm an extremely competitive person, so having to do that hurts, but I keep chanting to myself that it's okay. The world didn't explode because of me not meeting my goal. Everything is still moving on like it always has. :P

I've rewritten 17,000/80,000 of this draft. My goal is to finish by the end of March, but I'm secretly hoping I can crank it out a little bit sooner. (suppose it's not so secret anymore. xD)

(and if any of you have mywriteclub, we can track each other's writing goals! it's a super neat program so I can stalk your progress with writing/editing :P)

FEELING...

Currently feeling a bit awkward and amused over my latest encounter with a customer at Starbucks. I was working the drivethru, and it was around five o'clock -- the odd time where I wasn't entirely sure if I should call it day or night.

This man was alone in his car. I tended his money, gave him his drink, and as he was about t drive away, I tried to wish him a great day and a great night, which turned into, "Have a great date!" 

...oops. I stared at him while all the words in my brain disappeared so I just walked away since I had no knowledge of how to improve the awkwardness of the situation. :P #fail

WANTING...

MORE TIME. Pretty sure everyone can relate. I want to do all the things, but I also want to have an infinite amount of time to rest and get enough sleep... and those tend to clash together. Actually, it'd be nice to just have an infinite amount of energy. Then I'd never have to sleep and I could have more time to read and do other relaxing things instead. 

Or I could guzzle gallons of caffeine every day. It's a flawless plan, really.

THINKING...

ABOUT THE TWENTY ONE PILOTS CONCERT. I went last Saturday night, and oh my gracious goodness it was the most amazing thing. I'm crazy impressed with how they themed everything -- the lights, the music, the interaction with the crowd, the graphics, the visuals... *flails* I jumped and danced to the point where it was like working out. My voice because hoarse from belting my heart out.

There's something amazing and beautiful about shouting and dancing and singing with 12,000 other humans. It was definitely one of the best nights of my life. <3

It was beautiful and I jumped and danced and sang my heart (and voice) out. It was incredible to be shouting beautiful lyrics at the top of my lungs with 12,000 other amazing humans. Definitely one of the best nights of my whole life. <3

PLANNING...

My bullet journal spread for March! I wanted to share some pictures of February, but... like I said above, there haven't been many picture taking opportunities. :P

REALIZING...

How wonderfully God made all of us. We're all so different. I wish I could just sit with a stranger and hear about their dreams and their hopes and their fears and their goals, because it's so interesting how we all think differently... but yet connect with similar thoughts and desires. I always get this feeling when I'm around lots of people and it makes me feel so tiny and awed and thoughtful. <3

LOOKING FORWARD TO...

SUMMER! Because that means friends and vacations and sleeping in and nice weather and no school. It always whizzes by so quickly, but I'm determined to enjoy every bit that it lasts. :D

Also... it doesn't look like I'll be going to Realm Makers this year. *sniff* I've gone the past two years, and combining the price with my already crazy summer is making it less possible. I'll miss seeing all my writing friends there (*sniffs again*), but we'll just have to make it a giant party in 2018. <3

(not sure how the realm makers bit squeezed into the "looking forward to" section but eh we'll go with it. xD)

DECIDING...

There are always so many decisions in life -- Should I go to college? Which college? What car should I buy? How can I better serve God and others? What if my calling in life? Where should I live? 

Those are all important, but currently I'm deciding what I want to eat for a snack tonight. The struggle is so real.

<3,

katie grace

[see you all on the 28th with my wrap-up post!! <3]

what are you currently reading?

anything you're looking forward to?

End of the Year Goals for 2016

Summer is officially over. *cue the crying*

I actually really like fall, but it's a very busy and stressful time which makes it hard for me to enjoy it quite as much.

Last year about this time (well, a month later, but oh well) I wrote about my end of the year goals for 2015. That ended up being one of my popular posts, actually, so I'M BACK TO DO IT AGAIN. (it's also really fun to write lists within lists.)

   a. No, my goal is not to read one hundred and twenty-five books in the next couple months. I just want to hit the total for the whole year. :P

   b. I've read 108 books so far. I should definitely be able to make it to 125, but my not so secret goal is to read more than that. WE'LL SEE.

   c. Some books I'm looking forward to reading:

          - Scythe by Neal Shusterman

          - Gemina by Amie Kaufman + Jay Kristoff
          - A Time to Rise -- a reread, because this book is beautiful and every one of you must read it.

   a. this isn't as much of a goal, and more of a limitation.
   b. (because I have a habit of wanting to read allll the beta novels at once. not a great idea)


   a. I have never plotted out a full book before.
   b. This might be a little insane.
   c. Okay, it's a lot insane
 d. I AM DETERMINED TO TRY SOMETHING NEW AND HOPEFULLY AVOID REWRITING FOR ONCE. 

   a. Notice how I say "a novel" instead of a proper title?
   b. I said that because I ACTUALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M WRITING YET.
   c. But don't worry, I'm not freaking out.
   d. hahaha actually totally freaking out because NANO'S IN 43 DAYS AND I'M NOT PREPARED.
   e. this year I'm going to spend a week-long retreat with another epic NaNoer and MORE ON THAT LATER)


   a. I am determined to finish this by the end of the month OR ELSE.
   b. (this draft has been the evilest draft and I swear it wants to kill me. So. many. plot. issues.


   a. I know blogging isn't supposed to be about numbers but yet it's STILL EXCITING to know that people are reading what I write. xD
   b. (And I think we all pay a little bit of attention to it)
   c. Besides, two hundred is a really exciting milestone to hit.

   a. Bullet journaling has exploded over the internet all of a sudden, and I decided to join the craze and give it a try myself.
   b. So far it's been really awesome? It's helped me manage my time and be more productive
   c. Pictures will come later once I remember to take some and get better at the arting skills.

// katie grace

What are your end of the year goals?

Questions For Q+A Vlog Thing!

"Vlog thing." I know. I'm so eloquent. *bows*

I don't usually post on Tuesdays, but I didn't want to crowd one of my other posts with this, so here we are. :P

I've mentioned this a few times, but MY BLOG ANNIVERSARY IS COMING UP! August 27th is the official date, and I'm determined to be ready for it this time as opposed to last year's last minute scrambling.

I plan to have a couple giveaways, along with a Q+A vlog, which a couple other bloggers have done which has inspired me. I feel like you really get to know a person better when you see them speaking without the backspace button. :P

There's a handy dandy little form below for you to ask your questions. Depending on how many questions I get, I may not answer all of them, but I'll answer as many as I can while keeping it under 10 minutes. (I could babble on for hours, but I'm going to go ahead and assume that none of you will watch it for that long. :P)

(and I asked a random spelling question in the form because I am utterly confuzzled by the "correct" spelling. I will make sure to share the results in the official celebration post. :P)

(Yes, I needed to make the form picture have smiling, dancing little pizzas on it. Obviously.)

Thank you so much for submitting your questions! I cannot wait to answer them all and hopefully not make a fool of myself. You guys are the best. *so excited* <3 

Also, my new design will most likely be revealed by then! (or on the date. if all works well, I'll reveal it on the 27th, mwahaha.) I am so excited for this and it's the prettiest. o.o

Thank you!

// katie grace

Minneapolis Young Writer's Conference Wrap-Up

This week, you guys. *screams*

This conference was such an awesome opportunity -- to meet awesome internet friends, NYT bestselling authors, and talk with a Harper Collins editor.

The week was filled with very serious, late night Marvel discussions, giggles, so much writing information, inspiration everywhere, and lots of happy singing.

I'm going to plop a bunch of pictures in this post and make it more of a wrap-up sort of thing. Next Saturday I'll do a post on what I learned at the conference. There's so much -- I'll probably have to do several posts about this experience. :D 

I went to the conference with Aimee, Caroline, Hannah, Olivia, and Laura. I'm so blessed to have gotten the chance to know them better, since they're all such lovely writers and people.

So many awesome things happened. Hannah and her cousin Laura both won a writing award. All the authors said Aimee's writing was awesome and how her characters were lovely. (I totally agree with this, by the way. Because it is mah favorite. <3) Caroline's self published book is getting considered and talked about among the authors and editors.

One of the things I loved most about this Minneapolis Young Writer's Conference, was the intimate setting. Because there were only 66 writers there, our group was able to eat lunch with all the authors. Basically become buddies with them. Have Jonathon Friesen smack you over the head with a book.

There are so many memories, and the pictures tell them better than I could. Here are some of mah favorites:

meetin' new writer friends. the girl to my right is Olivia -- you should all follow her lovely new blog she just created.

aggressively critiquing each other's things

caroline's face is mah favorite, here xD

HANNAH. <3 (isn't her fangirl shirt awesome?)

guys guys guys guys we had pizza. In my peter parker/pizza shirt. Aw yes.

first time meetings at the airport. <3 

low-key cosplaying as wanda, comic book clint barton, and peter parker.

 

I promise I didn't kill her, no matter how much it looks like it. :P
    

   

The lovely Jacqueline West. <3 Also Aimee and her hawkeye cosplay.

 

a lot of lying on the floor happened. typical writer position.

- - -

// katie grace

This was more of a journal-ish post that I normally write, but I don't mind one every once in awhile.
How was your week? What's your typical writer position?* xD

* Ally Condie said she often does "the starfish," which includes her lying flat on the floor, limbs spread wide, often in a state of freak out or "what even are words."

(also here's aimee's wrap-up post if you're interested in reading about that.)

The Summer Bucket List

"Stealing" this idea from the fabulous Aimee, because her summer bucket list was cool to read.

1. TAKE MORE PICTURES.

I have a new phone that can actually take decent pictures, and there's lots of memories coming up to be documented. Not to mention that I like taking pictures. Also I want to include more of my own pictures in my posts. Because that would be cool.

-
2. SURVIVE WORKING AT STARBUCKS.

This is a pretty easy thing to do. I hope. As of a couple weeks ago, I started working at Starbucks! There are lots of lovely people there and the customers are awesome and always interesting. 

This Starbucks is right by the theater, and the other day a girl came in wearing a black leather jacket. One of the sleeves was a metal gray with the winter soldier's star on it. I may have had a fangirl/squeal attack.

-

3. START EDITING THE SAND DRAGON'S SONG.

Ew. This is my least favorite of all my summer bucket list's items. Because this book is huge and so messed up. *dies* But I have a new editing/outlining process that I'll use for it, so I'm kinda excited about that. Pictures and more details will be expanded on that in July. :D

I'm hoping to edit 50 hours in July. (though, that might be a bit too excessive. so it may turn out to be thirty or something but I'm HOPING to get a lot done.) (there's just a lot of HOPING for goals to happen so far on this list. Ah dear. xD)

-

4. LEARN SOME TWENTY ONE PILOT SONGS ON THE PIANO.

Because Twenty One Pilots is awesome. And learning how to play the songs would be even more awesome so I can play them ALLL the time around the house. Mwahaha.

-

5. DO SOME ARTING.

(anyone feel like 'arting' should be a word? it just sounds awesome and artsy in it's own special way.)

I used to doodle/zentangle/mandala a fair amount, but since writing has taken over, that's dropped. I really do enjoy doing it, so maybe this summer I can make a few cards or prints while listening to audiobooks. Aw yis.

-

6. EAT PIZZA.

Yes. I had to list this.

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7. CATCH UP ON ALLLL THE BETA-ING.

I love betaing my writer friend's books. Love love love it. But I'm also really really really bad at it. I read and then I forget to read and then I forget what happened and then once I finally read I just love it all and I'm not sure what to say and basically IT'S A STRUGGLE. (wow, very big run on sentence there, Katie)

But I'm going to become better at it. And I might as well become better at it this summer.

-

8. READ BOOKS.

I mean, obviously.. But I want to read LOTS of books. Good books. I also want to avoid the bad books. Maybe get into some more contemporary? I haven't been reading as much fantasy lately and I've been enjoying the different genres.

-

9. FINISH EDITING SONG OF THE DESERT.

At least, finish editing all the beta comments. After that... start thinking about pitching/querying and such? Who actually knows. I don't want to get too ahead of myself. xD

(and also are you starting to understand that there's going to be a lot of editing this summer?)

-

10. TRY NOT TO DIE IN THE HEAT.

Does anyone else really not... like the summer? The heat kills me. I hate the sticky feeling in the sun, mosquitoes eating me alive, and always feeling thirsty and sweaty. 

But then again, there's no school, so I'll take the trade. :P

-

11. DO THE THINGS THAT I DON'T REMEMBER TO DO.

Obviously I can't list them here since I forgot what these tasks are... but I'm sure there are some of them. *looks around my room* But it's definitely not cleaning my room. That's for sure not one of them. Ha. Ha.

-

12. JOURNAL MORE CONSISTENTLY.

At the beginning of 2016, I was journaling nightly, but that let off pretty quickly. I think journaling is awesome, and I'd really like to do more of it. So then in 10 years I can see what little Katie was doing and thinking. (scary thought. o.o)

-

13. ROLLERBLADE MORE.

Rollerblading is basically walking but you can go faster with less effort. And what's a better way to get exercise than that? :P

-

14. WATCH AGENT CARTER.

I've heard good things about this one so I've put it on hold at the library. Even though the third season got canceled (boooo), I'm still gonna enjoy the first two. Has anyone else watched this?

-

15. WATCH ALL THE MARVEL MOVIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

Because yes. I've watched Captain America: The First Avenger and Iron Man so far. The Incredible Hulk is next. I haven't watched that one before, so crossing my fingers. :D (though I think my dad and sister gave it a pretty good review?)

-

16. MEET MY WRITER FRIENDS.

This is happening TOMORROW, you guys. TOMORROW. My family's gonna pick Aimee up at the airport, and two days after that we're going to a conference with Hannah and Caroline. ALL THE EXCITEMENT AH.

-

// katie grace

What are three of your summer bucket list items?