2019 Reading List

Hey y'all!

 Here's my finished 2019 reading list! I remember reading more than this so I'm probably missing a few, but obviously I didn't like them enough to remember to put them down, lol.

2019 Reading List

 Books in italics are currently being read. Books in bold are favorites. Books underlined aren't going to be finished.

The Cellar - Natasha Preston
Wildly Into the Dark: Typerwriter Poems and the Rattlings of a Curious Mind - Tyler Knott Gregson
Impulse - Ellen Hopkins

Dreamfall - Amy Plum

Fish Girl - David Wiesner and Donna Jo Napoli

Real Friends - Shannon Hale and Leuyen Pham

Eeny Meeny - MJ Arlidge

Pop Goes the Weasel - MJ Arlidge (may reread at later date)

 Somewhere Only We Know - Maurene Goo

The Missing Season - Gillian French

To All the Boys I've Loved Before - Jenny Han
P.S. I Still Love You - Jenny Han

Dear Evan Hansen - Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul

 How many books did you read this year? Comment below!

-Hannah

Target Shopping Haul

Hello friends,

 The other day my family took a trip to Target so I thought I'd share what all I picked up! (mostly due to a lack of not having anything else to post haha)

I got a new phone cord because my old one broke and I wasn't able to charge my phone... yikes.

A new pair of gloves because if my fingers get cold they lock up and act weird, but I couldn't find my old pair of gloves haha

Hair bleach and hair dye! (results to come)

Some snack stuff! My brother actually got the candy bar for me.

The entire TATBILB series! :)

A book called The Lost that I'm excited to read. I've read a book by this author before and quite liked it.

I got two t-shirts; a white crew-neck and a black v-neck.

San Pellegrino! I love this stuff but I don't get it very often because 1) it's expensive and 2) it's loaded in sugar. It's so good though!

I also got a poster book of Raina Telgemeier's works for my sister because she loves her books, so I thought she'd like it. I didn't take a picture of that though.

Talk to you all soon,
Hannah

Trip to an 'Otherworld'

Hey y'all!

 So a little bit ago, on this past Friday, my family took a trip to Otherworld in Columbus, Ohio. This is a place I'd been wanting to go to since I heard about it- it's an interactive art exhibit/museum. You can touch things, move things, experience things in an entirely new way then just going to a museum, art or otherwise.

 Starting off, when you walk in, there's black cloth over the doors so it's blocking outside light, to really immerse yourself in the experience. You go up to the desk and they give you your wristbands, and these wristbands assure that you can come-and-go all day as you please! It's super cool. There's these screens with different patterns that play on them and it looks like shattered glass. There's some benches, a small gift shop, and a little snack bar (that has allergen-free options too, and if memory serves, vegan options as well).

 When we went, we didn't really realize there was a storyline, so we just kind of meandered- but I really don't think it took away from the experience at all. It was like being taken into all this different alien planets/cities, with so many neat things and creatures and creations.

 One of my favorite rooms was a non-interactive room (they're still working on a few areas from what I understand, so a few of the rooms are just like full-immersion galleries) with flowers, a skull, and hand bones painted in it. It was absolutely stunning, and I was so happy because I was wearing a skull/flower dress on that day! It was slightly ironic in a really cool way.

 In one room, you get to crawl inside of a furry narwhal-like creature and can see its heart. In another room, you can crawl inside of an arcade game. In another room, you become one with cartoon characters inside of a strange funeral- where you can open the coffin.

 Everything is super fascinating in a creepy-cute-talented-strange-amazing kind of way. My brother's favorite rooms are the 'creature' rooms, where there's huge furry creatures (along with the aforementioned narwhal type creature). In one room, it's a bedroom, and when you crawl under the bed, you're transported into the world of the monsters!

 There's no way to truly describe the experience and do it justice. If you are ever in the Columbus area, Otherworld is TRULY a must-see. Art-lovers, kids, lovers of the cute, lovers of the creepy; it's all here for everyone and anyone to enjoy.

 Tickets are $22.00 per person and good all day. Items in the gift shop range from around $6 to $25, and the snack stand is relatively cheap. The amount of time, money, and effort that was put into this is evident just in seeing everything in the 'Otherworld'- it's an experience truly like no other.

 Pictures from the entrance/exhibit entrance area.

 The bedroom that leads to the monster room! Yes, it's a real bed/mattress/blanket. Featuring me... haha

 The paint splatter room is really cool because it looks like paint is splashing down over the walls and floor. Super fun to sit and watch.

 Pictures of my siblings & I posing with one of the little monsters. These guys are a reccuring theme throughout Otherworld and basically my favorite thing on this entire planet (and the next). They're just too cute. This is in the botanist's lab area.

Floating books in the 'office' that ties into the storyline.

 Pictures from the flower/skeleton room. It's just so fascinating and hauntingly beautiful.

 The tentacles in the exit/entrance area.

  Some of the cartoon figures in the vintage animation area. It was really cool.

 The mirror in the hallway... or is it? Hmm... for real, though, it was very neat because you could barely see yourself. It looks like the hallway goes on forever.

  My sister & I posing with one of the little monsters. :)

 My brother with the eyeball peering into the bedroom!

 So what do you think? Would you visit Otherworld? Have you already been there? Leave a comment down below and tell me!

An August Recap

Hey y'all,

 This post is kind of just a ~recap~ of how August went- sort of a journal entry in a way. August felt like it was taking forever to get through, but now that it's over, it feels like it barely even existed.

 I was going to share some photos, but I think a plain text post is a better idea right now- I'm not at home while I'm writing this so I don't have a great way to transfer photos.

 At the beginning of the month, I had a dog sitting gig, and Descendants 3 premiered. It might seem silly for an almost-adult to get so excited over a kid's movie... but dude, I was thriving. I like Disney Channel movies way too much, lol.

 Then on the 7th, my grandparents came over to our house to have a mini celebration for my mom's birthday (which was on the 8th). We gave her gifts and had cake and ice cream and stuff. It was a pretty fun night. Also this month, we celebrated both of my Grandparent's birthdays as well (and my grandma's was a landmark birthday- 70!).

 Fast forward a few days, and we went to go see Shrek the Musical. It was actually so good, and super funny. It was at La Comedia dinner theater so we had a fun meal and saw a fantastic show, it was a really fun experience and I loved it.

 We also had a Youth Arts Ambassadors meeting. Unfortunately, time wise and stuff, we couldn't end up doing it this year, but seeing what all they have planned for the year makes me excited about where the arts in our community are going.

 At one point I met up with my one of my dear friend's mom, and a friend of hers. I can't go into detail on here about everything without being a jerk by over sharing, but we had an impromptu concert of sorts and just... it was a really good evening. Very Holy Spirit filled and just ultra powerful.

 Around the middle of the month, my mom & I auditioned for a play called Jake's Women. Unfortunately, neither of us got parts, but it was still fun and gives more audition experience, at least.

 My siblings and I also had auditions for our homeschool acting group in mid-August. We're doing a Broadway/musical theatre revue in January and we're performing the full version of Godspell in May! We're really excited. Unfortunately, we can't be placed in parts for Godspell until January due to MTI rules and such, but that's okay. I'm excited to get things prepped for the Broadway show. We have our first rehearsal next week.

 I had my last practices at the dance studio, since it's closing down. It's very bittersweet- I'm excited for what all the companies have in store, but the studio has been, and is, a huge part of my life. I've also begun taking a class at my friend Sophia's dance studio, so we're going to be seeing each other almost all day every Thursday because we're both in acting too, so that's pretty cool. Plus youth group starts back up soon, which we both attend.

 We've spent a lot of time with my Grandma (my mom's mom) this month, going out to eat, going to King's Island, Ikea, those kinds of things. It's been fun just going out and doing random stuff.

 We went to go see the movie Ready Or Not at the end of the month, which was very interesting. I might be posting a review soon, I'm not sure yet, but we'll see. It was entertaining though and it was almost midnight so we had the entire theater to ourselves which was a blast.

 On Friday (the 30th) our Mom surprised us with a trip to Other World in Columbus, where I've been wanting to go since before they even opened, lol. I WILL be posting about that soon, because it was such a blast. I haven't smiled that much in a really long time, haha!

 How was everyone else's month? Did everyone have a good August? Drop a comment below and let me know!

Ciao,
Hannah

What I've Been Up To

Hey everyone!!

 It has been a g e s since I last posted- which is actually kind of a good thing, because I've been really busy, doing stuff that I (mostly) love. Life's been hectic and I haven't had much time or energy to just sit down and write a blog post.

 Forewarning: this is going to be a very picture-heavy post, so it might run somewhat slow on data or slow wifi systems.

 So, at the beginning of June, my siblings & I had our end-of-year dance concert. It was quite bittersweet- I've stuck with dance, but cut back a lot, and my siblings dropped it altogether, and things are changing with the company I dance with. It's a big year of change.

Opus- my favorite piece, like, ever. It holds a special place in my heart.
Obviously not my photo... seeing as I'm in it. :) haha

  Then, the day after our performance, we went and saw my dear friend Sophia in her dance recital, where she played Tinkerbell (they did a version of Peter Pan for their production). It was wonderful and I love seeing her dance.

 Also in June, we adopted a new kitten! We named her Glinda. Now we've got 5 cats- it's a bit of a madhouse around here, lots of meowing. From oldest to youngest, it's Sherbert, Briar, Mittens, Elphaba, and Glinda.

 In June we also had all 6 of our shows for Annie Jr. It went amazing and I'm so proud of all of the people involved. We sold out 4 of 6 shows! It's a small theatre, but still! Pretty darn cool. It went splendidly, even with a few injuries and insanities that happened.

I can't find the one of me, my siblings, and Soph, so here's one without Christian. (sorry, dude.)
Also peep those little kids taller than the adult cop. :P

The orphanage set-up! (I painted the two signs on the back wall. Took forever but totally worth it.)

 At the end of June, my sister, mom & I all went to go see Waitress the musical. I saw off-Broadway versions of Beauty & the Beast and The Lion King, but this was a whole other experience and I had a total blast. It's one of my favorite musicals, and I may or may not have sobbed through the entirety of She Used to Be Mine. #notsorry

 At the beginning of July, my family & I binged the entirety of Stranger Things in one sitting. No regrets... this season was amazing and well worth the hype!

 Also in July, I re-auditioned for dance. I wasn't going to, but something in me just knew I couldn't survive without it. So I prayed about it, and decided to just go for it. I'm a trainee with the adult company, Fueled and Aflame, this year.

 Then in mid-July/late-ish July, my siblings and I attended a 2-week acting camp where we put together an entire show in a week (the rest of the time was spent learning new techniques and stuff). I learned so much and had a blast getting to know every one. We all traded Instagrams and Snapchats and such to stay in contact.

 We did an original play called After Ever After that was written by our teacher, Kylee. She did a great job and we all had a blast with it. I had the only non-fairytale role in the show as Alex the crowd-manager. My siblings played Jack and Jill, respectively. It was a total blast and, if I do say so myself, really good for being put together in such a short time.

Beth goofing off in her Jill costume on stage.

My siblings & I.

My siblings & I with Sophia.
(I should add that Soph wasn't in the show- she came to see it and support us, because that's just the amazing person she is)

  Also in this time, my family went to go see The Lion King. In my opinion, it was beautifully done, had an excellent cast, and was just all around a really good movie. Not one of my favorite Disney movies, per say, but definitely at the top of my list for ones that seriously impressed me.

My siblings & I also screwed around in the arcade, where I won that rubber duck, and in the photo booth.

 Christian also turned 13 on the 26th of July! No more kiddos in the house- we're all *nervously* approaching adulthood.

 The last two photos are from a cool coffee shop that's here locally... we went with our mom to the homeschool assessment that we have to do every year, and I got an Italian soda float with creme de menthe syrup and like- YUM. I also got my mom chocolate-strawberry blooming tea.

 At the very tail end of July, my family went on a mini-trip which I'll share a full post about later. For now, I'm off to go watch Descendents 3 and cuddle with some dogs! I'll see y'all around.

Until next time,
Hannah

Where Love Stands

 Here, on the day I am typing this- May 11th, 2019- is the day that one of my best friends, Jayci, married the love of her life, Ben.

 Their wedding was beautiful. They are beautiful. Their families are beautiful. Everything was just beautiful. I shed many tears over many things; a roller coaster of emotions, but most of all, overwhelming joy for them both.

 They found each other; they were so obviously made for each other. God did something real amazing (everything He does is amazing, of course, anyway) when he put them into each other's lives.

 I'm so excited to see where God is taking them on the rest of their journey through life. They are both golden-hearted and have an amazing love for people. Seeing them both today, dancing together for the first time as bride and groom, made me realize just how much they are both going to flourish with each other.

 And just how much love they have for each other. But most importantly, as much as they love each other, the focus of their relationship isn't on themselves or each other. Ben and Jayci keep their focus on God.

 And that, my friends, is what is truly beautiful.

-Hannah

Out Of My Comfort Zone

Hello everyone,

 Lately, I have not been in my comfort zone. Part of me feels reckless, but part of me feels contented. It's strange but exhilarating and terrifying all at the same exact time. It's been taking steps out in faith and trust, sometimes by choice and sometimes out of necessity, but nonetheless it's been a change of pace.

 I'm generally quiet, a bit anxious, maybe even a little bit of an anti-social (not un-socialized, but definitely anti-social, haha!) homeschooler (well, was,). But lately, I've been finding myself talking more. I'm not going to lie, I'm constantly second guessing myself. Things like;

"Was that weird?"

"Did I talk too much?"
"Did I not talk enough?"

"Did I leave a bad impression?"
"Do they hate me?"

 ...are all constantly present in my mind. However, I've finally realized that if someone doesn't like me, they can either tell me, or just not socialize with me. I second guess my appearance too, but I've also realized that if someone is judging me for wearing sweatpants, or no make up, then they either have A: never had a bad day or been tired in their life, or B: need to get over themselves.

 I'm doing a lot of things, talking to lots of new people, pursuing higher education, I got a tattoo, joined an acting group, and have started actually talking to people I don't know very well. I signed up for camp and am actually trying things in dance I was scared to try before.

 My friend Sophia invited me to a super cool event where we hung out with a bunch of artists/photographers we didn't even really know, and I met some really great people and got some really great perspectives for my future. I'm going to try a youth group soon, which I've never really had the guts for, and I'm signed up for stuff on my college campus, which I also never thought I would do.

 And I'm still here, I'm still okay. Things haven't gone tragically wrong. It's exciting and calming to know that all this time, I've had this in me. I'm not floating alone in this vast world, I don't have to constantly tone myself down or do less things to make other people happy.

 I just want to live my life to the fullest, because I'm done going through the motions. Life is so much more exciting than I previously believed, and doing new things really opens you up to a whole new perspective.

17th Birthday Plans

Hello everybody!

 My 17th birthday is this month. I was born on February 15th, and honestly, that's one of my favorite days of the year. It may sound cocky or conceited, but it's nice to have a day where I rule the roost. :) (My siblings listen to me, because they're broke and can't buy me a gift. Them listening to me is way better anyway, haha!)

 My birthday plans are as follows- my birthday falls on Friday, so my mom unfortunately has to work- but then we just get to spread out celebrations! Friday evening, I'll be going to a local tattoo parlor and getting my first tattoo. I'm slightly nervous, but I have a pretty high pain tolerance and don't mind needles, so it shouldn't be too bad.
 So in other words- I'm mostly excited!

 On Saturday, my mom and sister are going to go see off-broadway The King & I in the morning, and then in the evening we're going to go out to eat at this awesome local Italian place, or at a local taco place... I'm feeling very indecisive.

 So that morning, I'll probably hang out at home with my brother, and watch some of my favorite shows, like Gravity Falls, Big City Greens, stuff like that. Work on some art and just chill with him, or if I happen upon some money by then maybe we'll go get coffees at the local coffee shop.

 I'm just very hyped up for this birthday, because it means I'm the dancing queen, young and sweet... no, I'm kidding, but really, I'll officially be one year until adulthood, which is pretty wild, in all honesty.

 Sorry this post is so short, but I'll have other posts coming soon. Love you all and God bless!

 Ciao,
Hannah

My Top Ten Favorite Movies

Hey guys!

 Hannah here, with a fun post today. I'm going to sharing my top ten all-time favorite movies right now! Drop a comment down below and tell me what your favorite movie is when you're done reading, I'd love to know!

 Please keep in mind these are numbered, but are technically not in any particular order as far as preference goes. Now, without further ado...

10) Scooby Doo [2002]

No matter how horrible and cheesy this movie is, I never get tired of watching it. I laugh at the jokes every single time, despite having heard them over... and over... and over... I grew up watching this film, and I've loved it ever since.

9) Wonder Woman
My dear friend Alexis took me to see the movie when it came out, and I've been obsessed ever since. Seeing Wonder Woman on screen filled me with a sense of excitement and pride that made every since that much more an intense, during an already intense movie! I'm so excited that little girls are going to grow up seeing this kick-butt woman in a newer film with such beautiful cinematography, casting, and costuming.

8) Jurassic Park
Who would I be if I didn't include Jurassic Park on this list? It's a classic! It has action! Dinosaurs! Jeff Goldblum! I'm just kidding, but seriously, it's one of my favorite movies ever and another one I've just grown up watching my entire life.

7) Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
This movie may not be a favorite in the general consensus of viewers, but it's one of my favorites in all the 'Jurassic' movies. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time (both times I've seen it so far) and the dynamic of Claire-Owen-Maisie makes me really, really happy.

6) Alice Through the Looking Glass
I really enjoy Tim Burton movies, and this one takes the cake. Alice in Wonderland is pretty much my favorite book in the entire world, and this movie just blew my mind. I enjoy the first movie too, but this one just had something that really captured my heart.

5) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
I love the Indiana Jones movies so much, and Temple of Doom is my favorite of them all (I really enjoy Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, too, though). Short Round and Indy's interactions are great and I just really like the overall plot, plus it's pretty action-packed without being overwhelming.

4) Monsters Inc.
I love Disney so much, and Monsters Inc. is one of the greatest movies Disney-Pixar has ever put out (in my opinion). Mike and Sully are so lovable and Boo is so precious, if anyone dislikes this movie, then they're crazy! (Well, not really. But still.)

3) The My Little Pony Movie

A while after this movie first came out, I took a little girl I'm friends with to go see it for her birthday, and I've loved it ever since. I love My Little Pony anyway, but watching her face while she watched it just filled me with so much joy, so now I connect that with it every single time I watch it. Plus, the soundtrack? 100/10.

2) Bird Box
I know, I know. It's cheesy and way more popular than it should be, but it's a really entertaining, terrifying movie and I really enjoyed it, despite the hype.

1) Jumanji
Robin Williams was such a great actor, which already gives this movie a boost, plus it's just all around an amazing, entertaining film that is just really nice to sit and watch, especially for a family movie night, or when you're sick or something.

 Do you like any of these movies? Why or why not? Drop a comment and I'll reply, like always! I love you all and I'll talk to you soon.

 Ciao!
 Hannah

The Lost Ring

Hello lovely people. x

 When I was 11 or 12, there was a relatively new Christian book store (which is now one of my favorite hang-out spots due to the coffee shop, but that's not relevant to the story) that opened up in my hometown. Every so often I'd go in there with my family, and I hold those memories fondly in my mind.
 At some point, I happened upon a ring I really liked. It was a plain silver band, with black text that said, Saved by Grace through Faith. I can't remember why my parents actually got it for me, if it was a birthday, or if they got it for me that night, or what, but I LOVED that ring dearly. I wore it pretty much all the time.

 Then one day, I noticed it was gone. I looked, and looked, and... looked some more. For weeks. Eventually I gave up, and I haven't thought about it in a solid year or two; until a little while ago (like a month or so) I kind of mentioned it to myself in my thoughts and went on about my day.
 Then, in the car today with my grandparents, my Grandma asked if I knew who this little ring belonged to. I squinted, and picked it up with a gasp, turning the silver band over in my hand over and over in shock.

 "Where did you find this?" I questioned. My Grandpa spoke up and said it had gotten trapped in some crack in their driveway. I told them it was, indeed, my ring, and that I thought I had lost it forever.

 I'm sharing this story because not only does it mean a lot to me, but because if something as small and fragile as a ring can handle all kinds of weather- snow, rain, sleet & hail, intense heat, not to mention animals, mud, and multiple cars driving over it as well as people walking over it, who's to say you're not strong enough to make it?

 Something so small and so simple meant so much to me that I nearly started crying. Who's to say someone (you!) doesn't matter? You matter so much more than a ring, and that already means a lot. You have a story, a purpose, and you are meant to do something amazing.
 It's okay to just make it through the day. It's okay to get tired of braving the weather. It's okay to feel like giving up. The important thing is to NOT give up. Know that there is always someone out there who cares about you.

 You are loved. You are brave. You are important, and you matter so, so, so very much.

 If you ever need to talk, drop a comment and I'll get back with you. I love you all and please know that I am here for you anytime. I am always open to listening, giving advice, and just being a friend.

Ciao,
Hannah