Showing Off My Bag Pins & Patches!

 I first got my Fjällräven Kånken bag in 2018. I needed a bag, and I liked the style of those particular bags. I went with a nice neutral brown, with the purpose of having it always matching my outfit and my style. I also intended from the beginning to deck it out with patches, pins, and keychains as I came across them. 

The Full bag, in all it's glory - including all pins and patches up to this point! (Sadly, the yellow tassel on the right came apart shortly after this photo, and had to be discarded).

But, I purposefully avoided seeking out pins and patches intentionally just to collect. I only wanted to include pieces that meant something to me personally. And so, over the past 8 years, I have slowly and thoughtfully added the pieces that are on there now. Sorta like a mobile scrapbook journal but with pins & patches. As a result, I have a bag that means a lot to me, has seen me through many seasons of life, and isn't chock-full of meaningless over-consumed trinkets. 

As an aside, this item turned out to be an incredible purchase as the bag has held up amazingly well, and I think it's one of my now-favorite Buy It For Life items!

Anyways, I thought I would set aside a post and give you a little tour of what is on my bag, and what each thing means! 

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✧ I ❤︎⁠ Boro Pin

This button came from a coffee shop called Boro Coffee Co. that me and my husband and oldest son visited when we went to Pennsylvania to visit my father who lives up there. The coffee itself wasn't the best, but it was a sweet trip that we took with my dad and we enjoyed the outing, and this button is a great item to remember the trip by. 

✧ MABOI Missouri Pin

This is a very special keepsake pin coming from my dad. I always get a little forgetful when I think about what the pin is EXACTLY about, so here are my dad's words: "MABOI is a Missouri organization of about 400 members, mostly in the St. louis/St. Charles area. Building officials, building inspectors, fire marshals and fire inspectors, plan reviewers are all members. I was a member for 30+ years and also served on the board of directors. I was President 2000-2001." -My Dad

✧ Sump Coffee Pin

The skull is modeled after Scott, the owner and founder of Sump Coffee. Below is a coffee branch and a portafilter.

This pin showcases one of my favorite coffee shops in Saint Louis: Sump Coffee. This shop is a favorite because I've been there the most times after Course Coffee. They have really quality drinks and also the shop aesthetic is so cool! If you're ever in the Saint Louis area, you gotta stop by this one. I will say, they switched to dark roast not too long ago and so I don't like the taste of their coffee as much as I did in the past, but they will still deliver a quality cup that's worth stopping by.

✧ Boy Scouts Patch

This is one of the only patches in that the design itself has nothing to do with me personally. This patch is special because I found it in an antique shop in Hannibal, MO on a little weekend trip in October of 2018 and thought the aesthetic matched the bag perfectly. I also just really liked the patch itself and it was a great take-home souvenir for the trip!

✧ The Mud House Button

When my husband Cody and I first got married, we did our honeymoon around Saint Louis, trying many different coffee shops in our area of Saint Louis and Saint Charles (there are a lot!). We called it a "CoffeeMoon". One of the places we stopped at was The Mud House in Saint Louis. I love that I got this button to not only remember the place, but I like having a button to remember the CoffeeMoon by. 

✧ American Flag Patch

I don't remember exactly where I got this patch. I believe I got it at an antique shop. I have no idea why the flag is backwards, I can only guess it was sewn wrong during production. The symbolism in this one is obvious, in that it reflects my American heritage!

✧ NASA Apollo 11 Patch

I had a cool NASA pin on the day we went to this attraction as well, but unfortunately it broke awhile back and I had to remove it from the bag. 

This is a really cool patch that I got at the Saint Louis Science Center in August of 2018. They were doing a special exhibition about the Moon Landing and Apollo 11. It was a really cool event and they even had the full Apollo 11 Command Module on display! I have always been fascinated by space facts and space exploration, so this patch not only commemorates the cool trip to the Science Center, but also my love of space in general!

✧ Vertical Harvest Bible Chapel Gold & Silver Pins

From age 8-ish to age 18-ish, I attended Harvest Bible Chapel, Saint Louis West location, which was part of a larger chain of church plants in the US, originally stemming from Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago, led by James McDonald (former pastor), none of which is any longer actively existing. At our church location, they gave one pin to those who had been there 5 years, and 10 years. I don't remember which finish (gold or silver) was given to which tenure. But, somehow I still have both pins even though it's been 10 years since I even went to that church. I must say it wasn't my favorite church experience, but I went there during the formative years of my teenage years and thus the church and especially the bible study experiences I had there had a great impact on my walk with GOD and on me as a person. So, I look back with general fondness on the whole period. 

✧ Home Depot Associate of the Month Pin

Definitely the most damaged item on the bag, this is one of two Home Depot related items on my pin. I received Associate of the Month recognition a handful of times throughout my employment since 2019. I have always loved working there and enjoyed being with the people I get to meet while working, both customers and fellow associates. This pin commemorates my time at the stores, and working from home for awhile too!

✧ Home Depot Platinum Patch

This one the threads are coming off a little bit, I need to go over it to secure it onto the bag!

This is the second of the Home Depot items on the bag. When you do something as an associate worth recognition, leadership will, at times, award a "Homer Award". It comes with a patch and a little paper with what you're being recognized for. Every 3 homers received equals a small bonus on the next paycheck as well! And every 12 homers is a milestone called the Platinum - with the Platinum you not only receive a small cash bonus, but you get to pick a prize from a collection of goods (So far, my three Platinums I chose - a knife set, an air fryer, and a food processor. They have items to pick other than kitchen items, but I always go for those! Yes, I still use all three!). The next time I reach 12 total homers, I will receive a Diamond, which is the highest award you can receive. Apparently you get an even nicer prize choice, and you get a pin with a real diamond in it. That will be a great future pin to add!

✧ MAMA & Stay The Course Keychains

These are the two keychains I currently have on my bag. The first one, Mama, is from a care box that was sent to me by a friend when I was pregnant with my first son, Malachi. I love having it on the bag, because being a mama is obviously a huge part of my life and who I am now. The second one is from Course Coffee Roasters, which I have praised on the blog many a time before. It is one of several pieces from Course on the bag, to commemorate my love for that place!

✧ Garnet Birthstone Angel Pin

I love that I have a birthday in January. I feel like a lot of people are born in May, June, July, you know, summer months. I don’t meet that many people who have birthdays in January, and it just makes me feel special because I LOVE Wintertime. Obviously, a January birthday is part of who I am, so I have this angel pin that has garnet, which is the January birthstone. I have no idea where I got this pin, but I think it's really cute and precious! It's the only "blingy" item currently on the bag. 

✧ Blueprint Pin

This pin is another from a local coffee shop. This one is from Blueprint Coffee. I personally don't go there anymore, but I still like the pin and like supporting local coffee, so on the bag it remains. I do love the brake shop location, though, it has similar vibes to Upshot Coffee Brake Shop in St. Charles.

✧ Flower Pin

This one is one of my favorites on the bag, and it is the largest! It has three pin backs to it, it's so big. This one I got at one of my favorite nurseries here in Saint Louis. Rolling Ridge Nursery in the beautiful Webster Groves area. I have purchased several plants there, and one day I found this pin there on sale, and knew I had to get it! This pin signifies not only my fondness for a specific plant shop, but also my love for house plants in general (should I do a house plant tour next??).

✧ Teleo Coffee Pin 

This is yet another local coffee shop pin. This one is for Teleo Coffee in Kirkwood, which we have been to several times. They have a really admirable set of values as a company, their mantra is "love your neighbor", and they are very community and locally focused. I also love that the pin kind of also represents the Kirkwood area, in that my dad used to live and work there before he moved to Pennsylvania in 2022. So in that way, Kirkwood is very dear to me!

✧ Course Coffee Patch

This is another of the three items on my bag dedicated to Course Coffee Roasters. They no longer sell this patch, and so I'm glad I picked it up when I did! What I would really love, however, is if they would make a patch of their compass logo, as that's my favorite design associated with their branding. But for now, this patch will do!

✧ St. Charles Patch

This is one of my favorite patches on the bag. This patch very obviously symbolizes my home and heart as a Saint Charles, MO resident. Me and my husband met in Saint Charles, fell in love, married, lived, and raised babies in Saint Charles, and it is truly a home to us! I am very happy to live where I do, and also happy that it is so close to the county I grew up in of Saint Louis. I got this patch at Joy's Collective Market, an antique and vendor market on our beautiful Main Street. 

✧ Course Coffee Button

Ok, this is the last of the Course Coffee items on the bag! Lastly, is a button. Again, I would love this design as a patch or a pin, because I prefer patches and pins to buttons... but still, I'm happy to have this button and wear it proudly on the bag!

✧ Bird Patch

This pretty patch represents two things for me. First, my love of nature and wildlife/birds. I grew up birdwatching thanks to my mother who put out birdhouses and bird-feeders for us kids to look at and help maintain. As a result, I have a pretty good knowledge of the different bird species and an appreciation for birds in general! The other thing this bird represents is my employment at my very first job, at Michaels, for that is where I got this patch. Having got the job when I was only 17, I did a lot of growing up at that job, and had fun and benefited from the learning experiences. An additional thing I love about this bird patch besides it being so pretty, is I'm really happy with the placement! The tail fits perfectly in that little space between the pocket and the zipper, and the feet look like they are perched perfectly on the bag's front pocket, which I think gives a lot of character to the bag's trinket layout. 

Well friends, that wraps up a tour of my bag decorations! 

I haven't added anything new to the bag in a couple of years now. Again, I try not to go out of my way to find things just to collect and consume. I wait until the natural process brings me a new thing here and there that proves itself worthy of being on my bag (how many times have I written "bag" in this post?? LOL!!). 

ALSO, I wanted to give a shout out to THESE PIN BACKS that I got on Amazon. I had so many issues with the regular pin backs that each of my pins came with. They were constantly breaking and falling off. But since I got the better pin backs, I have not had a single problem breaking or failing me in any way. So... if you are wanting to collect pins on something, I highly recommend those pin backs in the link!

Anyways....... Let me know if any of the patches, pins, or buttons stands out to you in any way. I am very curious what you think and if you enjoyed the bag tour!

That's all for now - 

~ Amaris // ☆

My Sourdough Adventures!

One of my favorite recent food hobbies that I started is sourdough. 

I don't really like how the pinholes turned out on this one - also my score wasn't deep enough which is why it burst through my design during the oven spring!

When I first started out (about a year ago), I was overwhelmed by the amount of complicated and overly-scientific methods and processes on the internet. I was intimidated until I finally watched Brian Lagerstrom's video, which is very beginner-friendly. This video eventually helped me make my first successful loaf ever!

I've since adapted and tweaked the method for my own purposes, and the following post is my current routine! The method is my adaptation of Brian's instructions based on my schedule and my baking experience. 

The rubber band indicates the level that it has risen from!! This is a very active starter, ready to bake with :)

My Full Sourdough Process: 

Note about feeding: I usually do not feed my starter daily. I keep my starter on the counter, and when I'm ready to bake, if it's been awhile (a week or more), I will feed it once 24hrs before baking, and again 8hrs before baking, at that point it's usually good to go. If I use it regularly enough, I only need to feed it once, 8hrs before baking. This may not work for everyone though and depends on your location and climate. I usually keep any discard in a mason jar in my fridge which I use to make discard recipes!

Start with a active and bubbly starter that has at least doubled -

1. Mixing bowl: 320g of 92F water (microwave for 20 seconds), 200g starter, 450g flour (I use AP), and 12g salt. Stir until combined and shaggy. 
2. Cover, place in oven with light on for 30 min. 
3. Stretch and fold 4 sides and 4 corners. 
4. Cover, place in oven for 30 min. 
5. Stretch and fold 4 sides and 4 corners (again). 
6. Before placing back in oven, turn oven on 170F and let it preheat for 2 minutes only (to warm oven slightly). 
7. Cover, place in warmed oven for 2 hrs. 
8. Prep proofing basket, dough, and surface with sprinkling flour. Turn dough onto surface. 
9. Grab bottom, pull fold to top of ball. Grab sides, stretch to 8”-10”, fold one on top of the other. Grab top, pull to bottom. 
10. Fold in 4 corners. Tuck in a few more times wherever it points out the sides. 
11. Place in proofing basket, seam side UP. 
12. Cover and let rise for 90 min. 
13. Preheat Dutch oven in 500F oven for 30-45 min. 
14. Check dough, should slowly spring back when poked. (If not, give it more time). 
15. On parchment paper, sprinkle masa herina or cornmeal if desired. Turn dough onto paper, seam side DOWN. 
16. Score. If desired, spritz with water (will help the crust steam and create crusty blisters!)
17. Place loaf with paper into preheated Dutch Oven. You can put the Dutch oven on a cookie sheet in the oven to prevent a burned bottom. Lid on, place in oven, turn down to 485F, bake for 18 min. Dough will spring upwards during this time. You can check the loaf if desired.
18. Place back in oven, turn down to 465F, bake for another 25 min. Crust should be golden and crusty. 

This loaf has probably been my favorite yet - visually speaking!

This method has been very successful for me. Apparently, the method changes depending on the type of climate (and I think elevation) you're living in. I am in the midwest and things can get very warm and humid in the Summer, and very cold in the Winter, so you have an idea of what my location is like in which this method works. 

To wrap up, here are a few loaves that I've made - 

This one had a really high oven spring that I loved! 

Recently, I just started experimenting with inclusions. That is, using the same base process/method above, but modifying it to incorporate various flavors and toppings/add - ins! 

You can't quite tell in this photo, but this crumb shot is a rosemary loaf! I added rosemary and olive oil and it turned out so delicious.

The munched - looking spot on the left is where I tore some off to give to my toddler XD

The most recent inclusion I did was with rye! I made a rye sourdough loaf by swapping some of the all purpose flour with whole grain dark rye flour, and added caraway seeds, molasses, and cocoa powder. I made this one yesterday and plan to use it in the next few days for reuben sandwhiches!

Next I want to try a cheddar loaf. I am excited to continue experimenting! 

Have you ever tried making sourdough? What are your thoughts on my process? 

Until next time :)

- Amaris ☆ //

Decorating Vintage Bottle Snowmen // Tutorial

It's been awhile since we've done anything crafty on this Blog, so I decided to share this snowman project with you!
A friend gave me a decorated snowman a couple of Winters ago, and I thought it was such a unique idea, so I began making some of my own each year.
The credit goes to my friend for this idea, but I'm here to share it with you!

Supplies:

• Small bottles of various shapes. I got a few from JoAnn's, but I like to keep an eye out for old bottles at thrift and antique stores too!
• Styrofoam balls. You can get different sizes depending on what will look good on the size of bottle you have.
• Hot glue. It's the fastest option. For a sturdier option, you could go with E6000.
• Orange clay. For the carrot noses. :)
• Something for snowman eyes and mouths. You can draw them on, or you could use little bling dot stickers, or glitter glue, or paint. It's up to you. I used little black dot stickers. 

o~o

Decorations:

• Various ribbons and laces of your choice. I like to keep with the same color scheme (gold/ivory/silver, occasionally pink), but you could dress your snowman up really fun with some loud colors!
• Buttons, pearls, small brooches, decorative pins, charms, chains, and anything else small and decorative. Use your imagination! You can buy lots of embellishments from craft stores, or you can collect small things from antique shops. It's up to you!
• You will also need some 'fillers' for your snowmen. Something small and decorative to put inside of your bottle to look pretty. I have chosen some cellophane glitter and some pearls for mine.

~*~*~*~

First you will need to put your 'fillers' in your bottle. Whether you chose pearls, beads, glitter, or anything else, fill your bottle about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way with it. Or more, if you like.

Glue the Styrofoam ball to the top to secure the insides.

Now is the fun part! You can start decorating your snowman anyway you like! If your bottle has a long skinny neck, you might try tying some lace ribbon around it to look like a tie, or a lady's fluffy collar.

You also have a great opportunity to play around with some decorative snowman hats. I had a little crown charm that was too big for a bracelet, so I put it on one of my snowmen! For this one, I have a ruffle-y piece of tulle that I'm using for a hat. It turned out pretty cute!

Don't forget to also put something around the bottom of your snowman! It really pulls the look together.

For that snowman on the left, I used a metal flower charm stacked on top of some paper flowers.

When all of your decorations are glued on the way you like it, follow the directions on the polymer clay package to shape and bake some carrot noses. Be sure not to make them too big! You can also use the drying type of clay; I just used my sister's polymer clay that bakes at 275.
When your carrot is cool, glue it onto your snowman, as well as some eyes an a mouth. Or you can draw them on, whatever you decided to do.

Looks like a fine lady snowman to me. :)

And there you have it!
I love this idea. It's the perfect Winter craft when I don't want to spend too much time on a project, but still want something cute. It's also a great gift!
Well, I hope you enjoyed this change of pace for The Storybook Journal. I'm sorry I haven't done a craft post in a long time! Unfortunately, crafts are not something I have a lot of time for these days. :P

Anyways, let me know if you make any snowmen!
I hope you guys are enjoying your winter.
-Amaris

p.s. The snowman on the far left was the one my friend gave me. She used a feather-y boa and some charms for her collar!

Book Hacks

I know what you must be thinking.
What, by all that is sane, are book hacks?
(Firstly, you assumed sanity. Shame on you. Secondly, allow me to explain.)
I've been a bookworm for a long time. And I've learned a lot of things. Not just about reading books, but storing them, using them, buying them, even remembering them.
If you are a bookworm too, you might know some of these. But most of them I thought on my own, so I just wanted to share.
Basically A Post For Random Tips And Tricks Related to Books.

Buying New Books:
When you happen to go to a new book store (somewhere like Barnes & Noble that is NOT a used store) and you see a book you want, STOP RIGHT THERE. Immediately look the book up on Amazon. Chances are, it's going to be way cheaper. Go home and order the book, and you'll thank yourself for saving the money later.
Needless to say, new books are overpriced.

How to Remember What You Think of a Book:
Do you ever have trouble remembering which of your books you liked? Or say you just finished a book, and it's really good, but you don't feel like writing a whole review online (or don't have enough thoughts to do so)? How are you going to remember what you think of it?
I have a method for this. As soon as you are finished with the book (if it belongs to you), get a little sticky note and write 1 or 2 sentences about it, and how you like it or dislike it.
Something like:
"Not my favorite story. It had some good parts [insert a few page numbers here, perhaps], but most of the time I was bored. 2/5 stars."
or
"Probably one of my favorite books! The writing was good, the plot was twisty and amazing, and I was falling in love with the characters. Would recommend to anyone! 5/5 stars."
Put the sticky note on the inside cover, and you have an easy reference that you can glance at.
This also helps if a friend asks you if you have any books to recommend, you can just glace at your sticky notes instead of searching around online to find a review. 

How to Cover up a Swear Word in a Book (Without Damaging the Pages!):
I used this method of covering up cuss words in The Book Thief (if you've read that one, you know what i'm talking about). Some people like to just mark it out with a Sharpie, but that bleeds onto the other side of the page and makes the book all messy!
And if you are marking out for children, a Sharpie won't work because they can easily hold the page up to the light and see what you marked out.
But I figured out this method so that NO ONE can see what you marked out.

~

I'll put it in steps to make it easier.

1. Take a regular ink pen and scribble over the language.

2. Cut a small strip of Scotch tape the size of the marked out spot, and place it over the scribbles.

3. Take a Sharpie marker, and make little dots ON TOP OF THE TAPE STRIP that you have placed on the page.

~

No one will be able to read through it, and because you put the tape down first, the Sharpie won't bleed through and ruin the page. 

When You're Out of Shelf Space But You Can't Afford Another Shelf:
Don't panic if your shelf is full and there's nowhere else to put your books. The solution is quite simple, really. Just decorate your room or space with them.
Is there a vase on top of your bookshelf? Put a stack of 4 or 5 books underneath to give it some lift. I also keep stacks underneath my alarm clock, on top of a vintage hat box on my vanity, and I even put some on top of my shelf, under a wooden birdhouse. Just be creative, and don't worry about buying a new shelf (of course, if you can find a cheap on at the thrift store in good condition, by all means, buy it).

Don't Get Rid of Books You Hate:
Suppose someone gave you a book (they were trying to be nice and all), but you HATE IT (yes, I hate some books too...)? What do you do? You COULD give it away, or you could use/recycle it!
Even books that are in bad condition can be used for all sorts of crafts!
Here are a few of my favorites:

• Paper roll-up flowers
• You could Mod Podge the book pages onto anything: A box, the side of your shelf, your wall even.
• Cardmaking
• Scrapbooking
• Paper dolls! Bring 'em back from the Little House on the Prairie days!
• Art- you could draw or paint something (such as a rose) over the words on the pages and make a really neat mixed media collage
• Bookmarks - just cut a book page into a rectangle, put a ribbon at the top and you're good to go! 
• Birdcage lining (if you have a bird)
• Here's something random: If you're the type of person who likes to make gift baskets, you could make a book-themed basket, and use shredded book pages for filling
• And lots of other crafts!

Thrift Shoppers: Don't Ever Leave a Thrift Store Without Checking the Book Section!
Used books at the thrift store are usually super cheap, and I have found early edition books as well as brand new books at super-low prices at lots of different thrift stores! At one place I like go, their books are 15 cents AN INCH. I got a ton of books last time for like $1.00.
Just because a book might be used, doesn't mean that you will not enjoy it. Chances are the person who gave their books to the used store just finished them and wanted to pass them on. They are not necessarily bad books.

How to Remember Who You Lend Your Books to:
I've seen this hack on Pinterest before, but for those of you who haven't, a good way to remember who is borrowing what books (or even movies) from you is to take a picture of the borrower holding the item you are loaning them. Every time you see the picture, you'll be reminded that they have your book or movie (or whatever). It's a great reminder, especially when you're sorting through your phone pictures months later and you realize they haven't returned it yet. 

When Reading A Book: Give Every Book The 'Two 'Chapter Test':
I think it's fair enough to say that not every good book has a great beginning. Some books start off downright boring. This is how I felt about Elizabeth George Speare's books. I don't think her books start off very well. But I couldn't close her books just because I don't like the beginning, because the rest of the book is great!
That's why I give every book I read what I call the 'two chapter test'. It basically means 'don't give up on a book until you've read at least two chapters', because that gives the book a chance to redeem itself. It might be a good book, after all.
If the story still hasn't interested you by the time you've given it two chapters, chances are the entire book is the same.

Photo Credit: ME

Well, that's all I have for today. I have used these hacks a lot since I started reading (which has been almost forever), so I wanted to share, and hopefully you got something out of it!
Happy reading!
(Or crafting. Or book shopping. Or recycling. Or decorating. You know.)
-Amaris

Summer 2017 // Favorites // I'm Back, Guys!

Well, that was a fun summer.
Between re-watching my favorite detective shows, teaching little kids about Jesus, going to a cabin with my best friend, and being annoyed at my neighbor's continuous fireworks during Independence Day festivities, I've had a pretty adventurous summer.
Let me apologize for any of you who feel neglected because I didn't comment on your posts, or didn't respond to YOUR comments, or not posting on my blog at all. It's been a very interesting summer for me, but I appreciate all of your patience!
From now on I think you can look forward to more (kind of / almost / semi) regular posts from me. :)
Thus I welcome you to the post in which I share what I have done or been interested in this Summer. Enjoy!

Ministry~
As I've told you guys before, this Summer I've been busy with ministry. Specifically, children's ministry. I was able to go all around my home town and teach clubs and share Jesus with children, which was very rewarding! I had some great clubs this year for sure. :) Although I'm sad that Summer's over (which means I won't be involved in them anymore), Awana will be starting in a couple of weeks at my church, and I am very excited for that!

Teach the children, 

so it will not be necessary 

to teach the adults.

~Abraham Lincoln

Detectives~
Like I said up there, I have been re-watching my favorite detective shows. Those consist of: Sherlock BBC, Monk, and Columbo. Heck, I even watched the Psych pilot episode!
I think my favorite has to be Sherlock, but I hate to say that, because I really like Monk and Columbo too. They're all good in their own ways.
Anyways, in a future post (and believe me, I have like 52 drafts of 'future posts' that are all wondering if they're ever going to get published because I am a very mean author) I would like to do kind of a comparison post of my three favorite detectives, but I don't even have a rough draft for a post like that yet. But hey, it could be fun. :) 

Spiderman~
Guys. Please tell me something.
Why do I like Spiderman at all? For some reason, out of all the super-hero-people, Spiderman is the only one I'm actually interested in, the one that I don't hate. Why is that?!
Why?
#don't mind me over here sometimes i just don't even understand my own self
Well, I don't hate ALL the super-people. I kind of like Superman too, because he was a big part of my childhood. And he's been around forever. *shrug* I don't know, guys. But anyways, I saw Spiderman Homecoming the other day, and really enjoyed it! Now I don't have to worry about seeing spoilers anymore.  :)

Car & Driving~
Yes, my friends. I have been driving. What a unique thing to do.
No really, you might remember that I bought my first car, which is pretty fun. Sadly, however, I didn't get to drive my car a lot when I first got it, because I was away doing my ministry things a lot, and there was always someone else to drive me places.
But that's all over with. I am home now. No one is picking me up, and no one is dropping me off. I am now driving my own car.
And it's. So. Fun.
Oh, the ability to go places. Like Starbucks. And the thrift store!
I realize I'm making a ridiculously big deal about a very trivial thing. Driving a car is very ordinary. But right now, it isn't ordinary to me. It's a novelty. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm quite young, and enjoying the little things in life is very important to me.
Yes, driving will be boring one day.
But right now? Pardon me while I live a little. Now goodbye. *rolls up window*

Star Wars~
I finally watched all of the Star Wars movies. Boy, oh boy. *whew!* *wipes sweat from forehead* What a ride. I did kind of a marathon thing with some friends to finish them all up, and boy. I'm getting tired all over again just thinking about that night.
I don't want to share too many opinions, because I'm trying to get a post together for like a review on all the movies. I don't know how that's going to work, but I'm trying. Overall, though, I have to say that Star Wars is still not my thing, but I did enjoy them. Well, most of them. But we'll talk about that in said Star Wars post. If I can get all my thoughts together.

Cabin in the Woods~
I already talked about this a bit in another post from awhile back, but it deserves a mention in this post as well, because even though it happened back in May, I still consider it apart of my Summer, and will always remember it as such. It was a great four-and-a-half days of getting wet in the river, collecting teeny tiny shells, reading books, using outhouses (heh, heh...), taking aesthetically pleasing Instax pictures, and collecting lots of foam letters (don't ask). It was a great time. 

Photo Credit: ME

Making~
As far as 'making' stuff, I haven't been doing a LOT of creative things lately, other than having fun with makeup, but I did make this crown. Before you ask, yes. My fingers hurt quite a bit after making this.

Photo Credit: ME

I Have Read NO BOOKS~
All Summer. Not. One. Book. Do you see Mansfield Park, and The Potato Peel book up there in that picture? I HAVE NOT READ THEM. Although I have owned them for months now. How terrible is that? Well, I did read my Driver's Guide (for the second time around). But that doesn't count. If it does, then it had the worst plot I've ever read.

I Have Not Written a Word of my Book~
And my Characters are mad at me. I can feel it. They're really, really mad. They refuse to speak to me. All summer they have been lost in nothingness, with no purpose. No life. No... nothing. Because I didn't write a word.
I am a terrible Keeper of Characters.
Forgive me, characters.
Goodbye.
*dies dramatically of shame*

I Have NO Money~
This Summer was a little different for me because I had no money. I was qutie poor. Like, no-more-than-12-bucks-in-the-bank-at-any-given-time type of poor.
See, I spent almost all I had on my car and its expenses at the beginning of June, and then the ministry work that I did was all volunteer work, which meant I didn't get paid, which meant I couldn't work at my regular job, which meant I had no money all Summer.
Which meant that I had to find other things to amuse myself in my spare time that did NOT involve money. But it was a great time of growth, I think. I learned to be a bit of a minimalist, and I got to appreciate what I already had, without spending a thing. God surely uses everything. :)

And a Few Other Things~

• Pusheen Cat. For some obscure reason, I love Pusheen Cat.
• Singing, "Hey it's ok, it's ok, you're welcome!" from Moana every time someone says "Thank you".
• Little kids. Just children in general. They have squishy faces. I love them.
• Dramatic people. I could never be like them, but it's fun to watch them.
• Benedict Cumberbatch. No more words needed.
• Looking forward to Fall. And Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays.

So.
That's about it I think. Like I said up there, I'm sorry for having almost no posts for all those weeks, but I am back now, and ready to shower you with lots and lots of interesting things...
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a half-eaten donut from this morning that I must finish eating, if I don't want it to go stale.
No one likes a stale donut.

 -Amaris

p.s. That kind of sounded like a Blimey Cow closing sentence... 
p.p.s. Also, I recently wrote a more updated About Me page. If you want to go look. :)