Thanksgiving in California!

November has been extremely busy! I haven't been posting much on my blog about my recent endeavors,  but it involved wine, food, and an early thanksgiving with Michael's family. All fun stuff that I wish I had chronicled on my blog! Maybe once I get new phone with a better camera quality I'll be back to my usually blogging self. But don't count on that beginning next week because I am leaving to warm California tonight to spend the holiday with my family!

So I am taking this post to write how much I appreciate YOU. Tis the season for 'thanks,' so thank you so much for reading my blog. It's been great finding friends in the blogging community and getting to know you and your blogs too.

I will resume my posts when I return in December! Til then, may there be an abundant amount of pumpkin pies in your future!

It's cold outside.

We've hit low 40s and 30s in Seattle. And man is it cold! So cold, I ended up getting a cold. Haha. Did you get it?

Poor Michael, he's had to deal with me in a crummy mood as well as being sick. Yesterday I stayed home and ate, slept, and hydrated while watching Netflix. I get cold super easy so I buried myself under my heat blanket (if you don't have one, get one! They are so warm and cozy!). Blaire loves beeing warm so he ended up cuddling and sleeping with me.

When Michael came home after work, he presented me with a space heater, but I think Blaire loves it more than I do.

How are you keeping warm this winter?

7 Deadly Literary Sins Blog Hop!

Thanks to Krystal for tagging me on this post! If you're reading this I tag you to write your answers on your blog!

Greed - What is your most inexpensive book?
 A romance book I got for free from a Kindle newsletter that I will probably never read called The Forever Year.

Wrath - Who's the author with whom you have a love/hate relationship with?
Sarah Dessen. I love a few of her books so much, but some just fall a bit too flat for me.

Gluttony - What book have you devoured over and over again with no shame?
 Flipped, Pride & Prejudice, Twilight. Please don't judge me.

Sloth - What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?
I have so many books that I've quit just because they just didn't do it for me: Panic, A Great and Terrible Beauty, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Very Bad Things, Angelfall, Shadow of Night, and The Selection.

Pride - What books do you talk about most in order to sound like an intellectual reader?
Any Literary Classic. I'll name drop the author and a few fascinating facts I remember about them from my college days.

Lust - What attributes do you find attractive in a male or female character?
A female must be able to form her own opinion. She needs to be selfless, hopeful, and able to stand on her own. I like female characters who come into their own during the book. It's okay for them to be frail, afraid, or lost, but as long as they come out owning who they are, then that's when I stand and applaud them.

The male? Humble, passionate, and internally complex. Intelligent with a dash of humor. I have like a zero tolerance for arrogance unless it changes by the end. Some of my favorites are Mr. Darcy, Mr. Knightley, Ian O'Shea from The Host, and Bryce from Flipped.

Envy - What book would you like to receive most as a gift?
Since moving, I had to donate and give away a lot of my old books. I kind of miss having hard copies of the HP series, Pride & Prejudice, Emma, my old French Textbook, and a million others. However, I try to console myself by believing the gift is in the experience of reading the book and not owning it physically.

Feeling 23

Twenty-three years old. To me it's such an awkward number, and even more so, an awkward age.

In college, all I thought about was what it would be like to finally be out in the world doing something worthwhile. The possibilities seemed infinite, and the dream within reach.

The reality of it, however, seems constrained. When I start thinking about finances, medical bills, and my employability in the workforce, I stop for a moment and think, wow, is this what being an adult is about?

23 is a weird time for me. Too young to have really lived, but old enough to feel like you've been through some things. Like trying to figure out what you want to do, what you want to be, and what you want out of life, and realizing that there are no concrete answers to those questions. They change all the time, because we are changing. It's a strange limbo of becoming different versions of ourselves, yet still the same at the core.

Of course there are many things to be happy about. Friends. Family. Living and loving life, because face it, life is pretty good compared to other places.

So why is it that despite all the good things we already have, we still want more? And when will 'more' ever be enough?

ISWG: First-Timer

This is my first post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanagh. We post every Wednesday of the first month about any doubts or concerns we may have without appearing foolish or weak for the purpose of supporting and encouraging one another. Check out the group here. A big thanks to Alex and the co-hosts this month: LG Keltner, Donna Hole, Lisa Buie-Collard, and SL Hennessy.

 

 

A big insecurity for me is being vulnerable with my writing. I've finished a manuscript I'm really proud of, but I'm worried it doesn't have a place in the marketplace. I'm not sure if it's too niche or too played out. All I know is, I really just love it to pieces.

 

I keep coming back to it, even though I should be working on something new. I wonder if I should go back and tweak it, because if I don't, I fear that it means I've given up on it. When do we know when it's best to leave it alone? Will it do more harm than good to revise it again?

 

How do you know when your manuscript is 'finished'?



All Time Low

With the onslaught of rain, and the darkened days, I've felt myself drift away for awhile. In it's place I felt discontent, confusion, and a lonely longing that's hard to put into words.

On the surface, I'm seen as very bubbly, polite, and quiet, but those that know me on a more personal level has seen the other side I'm not proud of: destructive and highly emotional.

I write this, not as a confession, but a remembrance to the person I don't want to be. We all have those right? A shadow, lurking at the edge of our mind that comes out when we aren't looking. No, I'm not saying I have a split personality or something like that, but rather when things get tough it's easy to be taken over by negativity. Your mind then becomes so cloudy with negativity, so unlike you, that you don't want to feel it at all. Which leads to bad decisions.

Too put it plainly, I had too much to drink, said some hurtful things, and behaved dangerously and unladylike on Halloween. I was mortified and sickened with my behavior the next day. To feel so out of control of myself made me feel so ashamed.

Luckily, I had people who cared, took care of me, and tried to reassure me that night's like the one I had inevitably happen, but the only thing you can do is move forward. Those people in my life know who they are, and I am eternally grateful for them.

But it was an all time low for me and not one that I'll likely forget or ever repeat.

So, I write this to anyone who's feeling a little blue: the feeling will pass, but hopefully you don't need to make a mess of yourself like I did to pull yourself out of it. But if you do make a mess, remember, that we're all human. We make mistakes. And all we can do is learn from them.