Lovely Blog Party // A Few Couples Who Are Worth Mentioning

Hello, my lovely peeps!!!

Cordy from Any Merry Little Thought is hosting a great blog party for the month of February to celebrate favorite couples! Go take a look at her blog for more info. :)

For my 'couple-related post', I decided to talk about a few of my favorite couples from movies, books, and television shows. Of course, my favorites change all the time, but here is my current list.

This was originally going to be a 'top TEN couples' post, but I realized about halfway through... I don't have 10 favorite couples. I'm a picky person with high standards when it comes to stories and characters. Much less, I don't think I have top ten favorite anything (maybe Owl City songs... I'll have to give that some thought tho).
So because of that, I present to you my top 5 or 6 'mentionable' couples from film and books. What's more, they're not in any order.

Without further ado, I shall begin.

A Few Worthy Couples // February 2018

~*~

~John Thornton & Margaret Hale~

North & South book by Elizabeth Gaskell

Specifically (as I have underlined above), the book version. I really loved these two in the 2004 series, but I loved them even more so when I read the beautiful book by Gaskell. I love it when romance comes from two people that initially hate/severely dislike each other. These two are no exception. And I like the little scenes of these two together in the book that isn't in the series.

~*~

~Drake Carne & Morwenna Chinowyth~

Poldark BBC
o

This couple is a new favorite. I just finished watching season 3 of Poldark (a show not recommended for every audience, I must throw out there) in which these two characters are introduced. And I love them. Both actors do such an amazing job with each other, and the story they are interwoven into is so intriguing. The thing about this couple is that there is so much going on around their story that they have no control over, yet they love each other through it. AND I'M SO MAD THE WAY THINGS TURNED OUT FOR MORWENNA. I MEAN SHE DID IT BECAUSE SHE LOVED DRAKE BUT GOSH.
They're in the middle of making Season 4 right now, and by golly I hope things get better for them then! If I can only wait that long...

By the way, Morwenna looks almost exactly like a friend I know. *shrug* Who knew.

~*~

~Faramir  & Eowyn~

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King book by J.R.R. Tolkien

 

Again, I must stress the book relationship more than the movie relationship as my favorite.
In the book I simply adore these two. I watched the movies first when I was 14, but when I read the books I remember how pleasantly surprised I was by their whole relationship that wasn't even in the movie. I mean, look at this:
"And as they stood so, their hands met and clasped, though they did not know it..."
"...and he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many. And many indeed saw them and the light that shown about them as they came down from the walls and went hand in hand to the House of Healing."
 Just.
Aggh I love it.
Look at me in the eyes through the computer screen and dare to tell me that's not beautiful.

~*~
~Sherlock Holmes & Molly Hooper~
Sherlock BBC Show

o
Again, I must stress this is the show version I speak of.

I realize some might argue that these two aren't even a couple. And sure. They aren't married or anything. They aren't even dating, or purposefully getting to know one another. But are we going to ignore every single time Molly stood by Sherlock when he needed her, even as he was a jerk? Are we going to ignore the fact that Sherlock himself admitted out of this mouth that he needs Molly? Are we going to ignore all that went down between them in Series 4 Episode 3??? NO, my friends!
True, they aren't your conventional couple. But they are one of my favorites, and they deserve a place on my list. *nods decidedly*

~*~
~Philip Carlyle & Anne Wheeler~
The Greatest Showman (2017)

 
This is another new favorite.
I do have some problems with this relationship. Well, not PROBLEMS, exactly, there are just some things about their relationship in the movie I wish were different. For one, their relationship development? It's pretty much non-existent. Other than the fact that Philip holds Anne's hand during that one song but then lets it go when people see him. Then their very next scene together it seems as if too much has progressed that we haven't even seen. It's almost like they cut out a scene where he makes some sort of confession of his love for her. My friend put it: "They met and all of a sudden they were in love".

But hey. *shrug* They're still a great couple. I guess the main reason they are on my list is because of the epic-ness of the scenes they are in together and the songs they share. From 'Re-Write the Stars' to *spoiler* the time when Philip heroically runs into a burning building because he thinks Anne is still inside, to *end of spoiler*  the hospital scene, to the very end. It is blissful to watch.

~*~

~Alan Turing & Joan Clarke~
The Imitation Game (2014)

Here we have a couple from history, as well as from a movie.
*spoiler* True, these two don't end up together because of *ehem* REASONS, but still. *end of spoiler*

I mentioned in my post about this movie that I loved the two actors together. I know the things that happen between them in the movie should be taken with a grain of salt, as it's based on a true story, but the way they are portrayed was what I loved most. I love the way Joan sticks by Alan through almost everything. And she doesn't give a single care about his 'problem'. She's very sensible, and caring. And he loves her two, in spite of his all-consuming work. They love each other, and I love them in this movie.


~*~
Well, there you have it. A few couples for this 'season of love'. Do hop over to Cordy's blog for more fun 'lovely' stuff! :)
Oh, and don't forget to read this post from Natalie. It's everything. :)

I also got tagged awhile ago for that Period Drama tag that's going around... which I hope to post sometime next week. In the meantime, I hope you are all enjoying February!

-Amaris

// 2017: A Summary //

First of all, you must allow me to wish you:

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

YAY 2018!!! 

Ok, on to the post. :)
~*~
Well, will you look at that.
Another year has gone by.
(I feel like I should quote a poem about time passing by right now, but alas; I do not know any poems).

It seems only yesterday I was writing last year's New Year Post.
Overall I have to say that 2017 went pretty well. There were some big changes that happened in my family, but most of them for the better, and I know that God knows what He's doing (thank goodness because I don't).

There were many enjoyable things that I did this year. From going to an old cabin to spend the weekend (and using an outhouse which was #fuuunnn), to SEEING THE MOON PASS OVER THE SUN (sorry I'm still pretty excited that I SAW AN ECLIPSE YA'LL), to getting a brand new job that I just love... with lots and lots of movies and books piled on top.

So here they are, friends. My 2017 'notables'.

// Books //

According to Goodreads, I read 12 whole books in 2017! I know it's not a lot, but it's at least one for each month, eh? And I did make my goal! At the beginning of the year I set my goal to read 11 books (why I picked such a random number I don't know) by the end of the year, and I read 12. Well, well. Good for me.
My favorite out of all of them... well, I have to pick three, actually. It's so hard to pick just ONE favorite (any book lover understands).
~Hidden Places by Lynn Austin
~The Help by Kathryn Stockett
~The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

All three very good books, all very clean (MOSTLY *glares at The Help*), and all recommended by Yours Truly.

In 2018 I hope to read 13 books. I think that every year I'm going to try to read one more than the last, and we'll see how many years I can keep up with myself. :)

// Movies //

There were some good movies I saw this year! I cannot choose favorites (as you well know), so here is a small list of the best ones I have seen.
~ The Case for Christ : Such a heartfelt, lovable movie. And thankfully not cheesy, as some Christian movies can be. :P
~ Hidden Figures : You guys, this movie was so good. If you like inspiring historical drama films, you will love this movie.
~ The Imitation Game : This movie didn't come out this year, but I saw it for the first time a couple weeks ago, and was very impressed.
~ The Walk : This is just one of those sweet, adorable, sit-down-on-the-couch-with-a-blanket-and-a-dog kinda movies. It's really quite enjoyable.
~ Forrest Gump : Oh, I loved this movie so much. It was so sweet and heart-warming, as well as funny and sad. Unfortunately, it did have quite a significant bit of 'content' in it, including language. I wouldn't watch it again without a filter, but man I enjoyed this one.
~ Beauty and the Beast : A very pretty sort of movie. Controversial? Yes. But, enjoyable? Also yes.
~ All the Star Wars movies : This is a disclaimer; I didn't enjoy the movies so much as I enjoyed the times I had while watching them with friends, which is why they are going on 'movie favorites' for 2017. :)

// TV Shows //

This year didn't involve a lot of 'discovery' shows for me, most were just re-watches. I'd like to try more shows in 2018, to see what other good ones I can find. But here are the ones I most enjoyed this year.
~Sherlock BBC, Series 4 : I know you guys have probably heard enough about this show from me. But still. I absolutely love this show. We watched Series 4 for the first time in January, and then we watched it all through again about a month ago. And it was so good. As usual.
~Call the Midwife, Season 6 : This show makes me so happy. Because there are happy things, sad things, and funny things in it. Heartwarming things, beautiful things, terrible things. All of those together make a good show in my opinion. I really enjoyed Season 6.

Aaaaaaand, that's actually it for shows. Like I said, I'm going to try to find more in 2018! I have a couple of shows in mind, but we'll see if I actually get around to watching them. :)

// Music //

Oh, I missed the Adam Young Scores! But I mustn't be like that, I'm supposed to write about what music I did enjoy in 2017, not what music I missed. You must excuse me.
~Owl City, Cinematic : Which technically isn't 100% released yet, but there are several songs already released as well as previews of the rest which I have been enjoying immensely.
~Owl City, Waving Through a Window : I love this song; it is so sweet, so like Adam.
(and now onto other things besides Owl City...)
~TobyMac, Lights Shine Bright : This is one of those great driving-in-the-car-to-work songs. It's quite fun.
~Hillsong United, What a Beautiful Name : I always like worship songs that are strictly about how great God is.
~Danny Gokey, Comback : This year, I saw this guy in concert. He is pretty good, ya'll!
~MercyMe, Even If : There are a few songs in my life that, whenever I listen to them, make time seem to stop. This is one of them. Every time I hear it, I just have to listen. And somehow, it doesn't get old.

Ok! Now onto some stuff about the blog!

// The Storybook Journal //

~My blog celebrated it's 3rd anniversary (excuse me; I mean blogiversary...) this year! September 3rd, 2015 was the day I got up the nerve to post my very first post. (Here's the link if you're really interested in embarrassing me.) Since then I have had a swell time posting on the 'ol Blog.
~This year I posted 37 posts, the most so far! In comparison, I posted 28 posts in 2016, and 11 posts in 2015 (after I started it in September, of course).
~Also in the blogging world, I won a giveaway for the first time: 2nd Blogiversary & Giveaway!, and won a blog game for the first time: Other Way, Mr. Collins!
~I posted a picture of myself on my blog. After years of not doing so.

// Other Highlights //

~I got a new job, at a place I love to work at (thank heavens for that...)
~I witnessed a Solar Eclipse, which was an amazing experience (truly, truly, truly amazing.) August 21st, 2017 will be forever etched in my memory.
~I bought my first car. Which thankfully didn't cost me a literal arm and leg.
~I got my liscense, so that I can actually drive said car.
~I went to a cabin in May with some friends and had the most amazing time playing cards and walking along riverbeds and drinking soda.
~I got to house sit a house for some friends of mine, and it really opened up some great opportunities for me to be responsible about things that I wasn't able to before, as well as having some great 'alone time', which is quite important for oh-so-introverted me.

There you have it, future-Amaris-who-is-looking-back-at-this-post-because-you-were-feeling-nostalgic!!!
And there you have it too, my blogging friends, who were curious enough to see what kind of things Amaris over at The Storybook Journal did for 2017.
I thank you for reading!  
I hope you dear followers of mine had a lovely year, and even those of you who are not my followers, but who are just stopping in, I hope you had a good year too.

Here is a verse for you; a verse that I thought was appropriate for such a post, in regards to the New Year.

Hebrews 12:1 
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Did you see that word? That 'P' word? Perseverance. It means (in my own words, of course) "to keep going".
So if 2018 is going hard, keep going. There is another year around the corner. As long as you're alive, there is always another year. Make sure you're there to see it.

Ah, what could 2018 possibly hold for me?
All I can say is: "God, surprise me!"

~Amaris

Do you have any plans for the New Year? What is the best thing that happened to you in 2017?

Currently in November // 2017

This is one of those posts that I MEANT TO POST awhile ago, but I kept thinking of things to add to it, and then I FORGOT ABOUT IT, and I had to make sure my new stuff made sense with the old stuff in the post... and you know.
In other words, some of these things are a little out-of-date.
Anyways, here is what I've been up to these past couple of weeks.

From Etsy

Sorry to disappoint all of you, but I am 100% NOT doing NaNoWriMo this year. I tried to do it once, like 3 years ago, but it did not end well.

• There was no rough draft.
• There was no book.
• There was no contract signed with a publishing company.
• There was no Interview on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, in which I discussed my character developments and story processing.

And I'm not in the mood to not do all of that again this year. :P

Perhaps next year, though! I do want to do it someday. I just have to get all of my thoughts and plots and characters together, and that is no easy task.

The only thing I've written this month are grocery lists, a few blog post notes, and a small letter to a friend. That is all.
Also my Christmas list. For my mom.

From Indulgy

 

~The Help, by Kathrine Stockett. 

And guys. It. is. so. good.

~The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer, which I'm not finished with, but it has been very sweet so far. Also, bravo to them for the outlandish name *claps emphatically*
  ~A few enjoyable posts, written by you guys!

Ramblings of a Redhead Girl

Lately // Autumn 2017

  

Chronicle's in Bloom

2nd Blogoversary & Giveaway

The Writer's Song

An Open Letter to the LGBT Community

Writing is Life

Writing Rules I Hope/Want to Break

From Tumblr

~Iron Man. I know, aren't I so brave for coming out of my shell and trying another superhero movie? I suppose so! 
Yes, yes, I'm brave and all that, but did I like the movie? Well............ not a lot. I liked Tony Stark. But the rest ... meh. I just find superhero movies boring. I know, I know. You think I have no class. You think I'm just plain STUPID, perhaps. 
But my grandma always said: "TO EACH HIS OWN".
#so there 

Anyways. Other things I've watched:
 

~Sherlock BBC. Which is amazing. As usual.
~The Imitation Game (you might remember my opinions on the movie from this post)
~Spider-Man: Homecoming. Watched it with my best friend. Which was quite fun. 
~Monk (not all the episodes... but some.) Such a fun show.
~The Help. Because I just read the book, and wanted to watch the movie again. I didn't understand it when I watched it the first time because I was quite young. 
~This rather amusing (albeit pointless) video from Good Mythical Morning: Blowtorching Bananas. 
(Don't ask; I am easily amused in spite of my interminable high standards).   

 

  ~Hawaiian food; because a friend of mine owns a Hawaiian food truck, and it's quite delicious.

~Homemade puppy chow.
~Thanksgiving stuff: You know; chocolate pie, turkey, potatoes and stuff. 

~Homemade chili (which is quite good).
 ~Quinoa salad (healthy and delicious at the same time = win and win).
 

From Tumblr

 

(Not to worry, it's not me)

~A funny thing happened with my car (Not 'haha' funny, but the other kind of funny. You know). One night on my way home from somewhere, I was adjusting my headlights, but I must have adjusted them real good because what do you know, the next morning my car was dead as a door-nail.

 I had apparently left the headlights on all night. :P
(I know. How brilliant of me).

I couldn't get to work until (thankfully) a neighbor happened to see my trouble and help me get her started again with some jumper cables. 

I know, I know. "What a very silly thing for you to do, Amaris!" But look at it this way: that's one mistake I will never make again for sure.

And thankfully, everything turned out ok.

From a show I have not yet seen.

 

~ For Christmas presents. Which I can't talk about, because #spoilers.

~For The Good Doctor (ABC) to come to Netflix; because I don't have TV so I can't watch it until it either comes out on DVD, or on Netflix. So until one of those things happen, I can't watch it. Which is sad because it looks so good. (Plus, you guys. It's the chocolate kid all grown up! I feel so old right now...).
~For Owl City, Cinematic (refer to the next paragraph to hear about this one)
~To go to the theater to watch Murder on the Orient Express; because it's been a long time since I've been to the movie theater. Plus, I never enjoyed Hercule Poirot books all that much, and I want to see if a movie will make me like him better.

From weheartit

~NOT TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC.
(AT LEAST TRYING NOT TO)

~To song previews of Owl City's new album, Cinematic.Which is coming out like a million years from now... June 2018. Hopefully I won't die before then. :(
But anyways, the previews sound great.

*heavy breathing*

~*~*~

Anyways, that's about it! It seriously took me forever to finish this post. :P I just kept coming back to it, and forgetting about it...

But here it is; here you go.

I hope you enjoyed. 

If you made it this far, that is.

-Amaris

Watching Shows & Movies At My House

Some of the reactions/comments you might hear if you ever watch these shows with my family at my house.
~

Doctor Who:

-Why though...?

-Who/what is THAT?!?!

-Can I just touch his hair please
-What is going on?
-JUST KISS
-noooo plz don't send the cute one back in time.....
-Why is he doing that again?
-Why doesn't he just tell her he loves her? What is he, stupid?
-Pretty sure Rory is like the most adorable thing that ever happened to Britain.

~

~

Pride & Prejudice:

-Oooh look at the dresses

-Ew, Mr Collins. Ew.

-Colin Firth is SO the best Darcy
-Look heheh she ran into him again
-I'VE DONE THIS DANCE BEFORE AT A BALL.
-Since when is Lady Catherine the Queen of Everything?!
-You. Are so. Annoying.

~

Call the Midwife:

-Wow, look at THAT baby.

-When are one of the midwives (besides Chummy) going to have their own baby?

-HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW WHEN YOU'RE THIS FAR ALONG, WOMAN
-Please don't make this an awkward gay moment. EaW STHOpP
-If he's the doctor, I'd want to get sick too.
-Why are you insistent on not getting help, lady. You obviously need it.
-I KNEW IT. I CAN ALWAYS TELL WHEN THEY'RE HIDING PREGNANCY.

-So what if your husband finds out? He might be happy, you know...
~

~
Sherlock:

-Oooh look at Sherlock's hair.
-can we pause at this shot so i can take a pic fo instagram...

-Do you ever wonder if John actually is gay

-*Humming the theme song*

-Look, mom! It's Bilbo, your favorite!

-I think I read a tumblr post about this part...

-hehe John's face...

-Poor Graham Lestrade
-Well that was a very British thing to say, sir.
-AAAAUUUUGHHHH I CAN'T TAKE ANYMORE TRAGEDY
-*shaking fists at moffat*
 ~

~

The Lord of the Rings:

-How do you never run out of arrows, elfboy?

-Aragorn, please take a shower. 

-Are Frodo's eyes real...?

-Finally a woman character
-eugh. faramir is such a mean-o.
-DID YOU SEE THAT. THIS IS WHY I LOVE HOBBITS.
-9 members... why couldn't they make it an even 10?

~

North & South:

-how?! is his face so perfect and British??

-DUDE. Relax. He's her BROTHER. gosh. #chill already

-surprise, surprise, another death.

-Mrs. Thornton... why you so mean all the time.
-you did not almost faint. calm down, drama queen.
-YOU SIR, ARE DISGUSTING AND I HATE YOU.
-Ah, yes. Margaret. Turning down proposals like a boss.
~

~

Monk:

-HAHHAHhahhahahahaaa he touched the lamp

-What is Sharona wearing?
-aww theres the trudy music
-NO NO YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG GUY YOU IDIOTS.

-Hehe I like his moustache

-I see, half painted nails. This was no suicide.

-How was he ever married at all?
-CALLED IT.

~

I Love Lucy:

-WHY DON'T YOU EVER OBEY YO HUSBAND, WOMAN

-Why is everyone scheming against one another?

-How dare you call ethel fat!

-yeee i love the costumes in this showww
-NOW LOOK YOU'VE GOTTEN YOURSELF INTO A MESS
-If you ask me, you're all fatheads.
 ~

That is all.
Goodbye!
-Amaris

* * * * * 

No, wait. I have a few P.s.'s:

p.s. Firstly, I wanted to apologize that I didn't post yesterday as I had intended to, but I WAS BUSY ALL DAY WATCHING AN ECLIPSE. You know. No big deal. Anyways, I was busy with that, because it did involve some traveling, and I was not able to post this because it was too late by the time I got home. 

But anyways, more on the eclipse later.

* * * * *

p.p.s. Also (yes this is random), here's a shout-out to the very first time I've ever shown (even part of) my face to the internet. Behold my new profile pic. I realize it's not a big deal, but it's kind of a big step for me. *shrug* I don't know.

#yay #accomplishments

 ...and yes I know my hands are reflected in the picture. #i'm not an expert at this

Ok, that's all. See you later!

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. :) 

A Few Things I'm Glad Exist

First of all, before I dive into a few recent 'favorites', I have to thank you all for the support you showed me in the comments of my last post. I did a lot of praying before I put anything about Beauty and the Beast on  this blog, and I felt like the Spirit was leading me to share my heart about the issue. All of your comments just really encouraged me and confirmed that I did the right thing in that respect. So I just gotta say 'thank you' for that!

So anyways, here are just a few favorite things that I have been enjoying lately (and for good reasons!).
There are new things, as well as old things that I am returning to.
Enjoy!

Firstly:
SPRING IS HERE, PEOPLE..Well, not technically. The actual date of Spring is March 20th, but STILL. It looks like Spring, it feels like Spring, so therefore it IS Spring.
This is my favorite time of year. Early Spring, specifically. It's not full-blown Spring yet, but the flowers are just starting to peep around everywhere, and you have maybe a dandelion or two, and the grass is kind of half green and half yellow, and there's these cute little buds popping out all over the branches and the trees, and the weather is (for the most part) amazing... Just. Yes. *breathes deeply* *sighs contentedly* *because Spring*

Book Find: "How to Talk to Anyone". So I saw this book at Barnes & Noble, and it looked pretty interesting so I took it home. Fellows, I am really glad I picked it up. I don't know about you, but I can get pretty shy when I talk to people, and I have to admit that my communications skills are NOT the best. :P # this is what happens when a person cares more about reading and doing crafts and staying at home than actually going out into the world and socializing.
Anyways, I'm halfway through the book, but it has really helped me so far. It gives tips on starting conversations, carrying conversations, how to keep eye contact (which I've always been horrible at :P), as well as other tips and tricks to bring to the table when conversing with people. 
So I definitely recommend this book. It isn't super psychological and complicated, nor does it resemble a boring school textbook. Plus, I just find the cover super cute...? Anyone else?

Broadway: Newsies
I am aware that most of my followers have seen and loved Newsies. So you are probably excited about this part. I had never actually seen it before. I mean, I'd heard of it, but I'd never seen it. Nor have I heard any of the songs, nor have I ever watched any trailers for the Broadway show or anything.
I was a babe in the woods, when it came to Newsies.
Well, no longer. My friend's grandparents bought me a ticket to the three day event thingy in cinemas to see a live filming of the production.
AND. BOY.

I had no idea what I've been missing. What acting! What dancing! What voices! I had a super good time with my best friend and I enjoyed the show immensely.

And, once or twice., I may or may not have... *lowers voice*...occasionally... *glances around* ... kind of...*whispers*....fangirled.

I'm going to let you in on something. In case you didn't already know, I don't like musicals. I might even go so far as to say I HATE them. That is not including a few exceptions, however. Such as 'Singin' in the Rain', 'White Christmas', and a few others. And Newsies, my friends, made the cut. Which surprised me, because I am not a fan of Broadway musicals in particular. They just bug me.

'Hamilton'? Nooo.
'Wicked'? PLEASE no. I DO NOT CARE ABOUT WHETHER YOU CAN DEFY GRAVITY OR NOT JUST LEAVE ME OUT OF IT PLEASE.

YouTube: Blimey Cow. I have really enjoyed Blimey Cow's videos lately. They have just been funny as well as eye opening to me. I try to show some of the videos to my mom, but she never likes them because "that guy talks too fast". XD I guess he does, but his content is still great!
And I have to mention how happy I am for Jordan because... *sniff*... he got engaged. I don't even know this kid, but I've been watching him for years and it's just so cool after watching all the videos he's made about the struggles with dating and courting and crushes to see that he has happily found his special someone...

*dries happy tears* Onto the next subject!
I have to mention Sherlock Season 4!!!!! (aka the best season of the best show ever). One of the good things about the fact that I've FINALLY watched this season is that I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SEEING SPOILERS ON MY PINTEREST FEED ANYMORE. I had to unfolllow like 2 of my favorite pinner's Sherlock boards (Abbie C.'s and Ashley Elliot's) because I kept seeing Season Four spoilers. So now I'm just going to hop over and follow them back because I've seen the episodes. *hops*
Abbie was decent enough to warn people of spoilers in her board title, which I was grateful for, but not before I ACCIDENTALLY SAW A FEW THINGS I SHOULDN'T HAVE.

This gets me every time. XD

Even with the spoilers I saw, the season took waayyyy too many unexpected and devastating turns.
I mean, just...*sniffs* John... Mary..... Sherlock.......... Redbeard................Molly.......*cries softly*
I can't tell you anymore. But I died like a thousand deaths watching it.

THIS EPISODE KILLED ME.

I'm usually not the kind of person to obsess over a TV show or a movie or anything, but if ever a show mercilessly ripped out my poor little heart, it was this show, this season.
For sure.

*crying*

And can we just take a second to appreciate what a great actor Benedict Cumberbatch is? He pretty much blows me away in every role I've seen him in (like, three roles other than Sherlock). I mean, seriously. He's the best.
*Salutes to Ben*

Yes, yes, and yessss.

I'm thinking of doing a 'Sherlock BBC' week on the blog sometime, and we can post stuff about Sherlock, and the show, and our favorite characters, and there can be a tag, and other Sherlock fun stuff, and you know.... what do you think of that? I'm not sure how many of my followers actually like the show, so it might be boring for some of you.
OR MAYBE YA'LL SHOULD JUST WATCH THE SHOW. AND WE CAN DO A SHERLOCK WEEK.
THIS IS YOUR CUE.
GO WATCH IT.
Ok, I'm going to end the Sherlock section of this post because I feel like I'm beginning to repeat myself.

Please Look at the Moon. Guys. I have been completely obsessed with looking at the moon lately. It is so pure and absolutely perfect and breathtaking and gorgeous. If you have the moon where you live (and I know you do), look at it tonight if you can.
Also, I'm pretty excited about those 7 new 'earths' NASA has apparently discovered? I was pretty intrigued at the news. The idea that there are other planets with water and air wayyyyy way out there is just so cool to me. *shrug* I don't know. I just like space, y'all.

It's been about 4 months and I'm still laughing at this meme. 
I had to share because guys... this meme. XD I just can't...
 

*laughs my little triumphant laugh*

Hooray for Writing: After almost a year of no writing, I've actually done a little bit of plotting on my story lately. Just this week I wrote TWO WHOLE TIMES. Which is way more than I have been used to.
It was great.
#Behold the most disciplined writer ever.
The story is coming along splendidly where it was at a standstill before, but I'm quite a ways from holding a physical book in my hands. :P Wish me luck, I guess.

Working my way through Star Wars: It's been an interesting ride, but I have a couple of friends who are helping me out in my journey as I watch this series for the first time. :) At this point, I've seen IV, V, VI, and I. I know I definitely like IV and V.
VI was OK, and Ep. I was a little weird... I'm just not sure how I feel about the whole thing, but like I said, it's been interesting. I am pretty excited to watch one of the recent  movies, though :) I've heard great things about Rogue One. But, *shrug* we'll see. :)

Coming to a Realization: I decided I will be totally fine if I never get married. I mean, I would be happy to GET married, but if God is like "actually you'll be fine single", then I am perfect with that. It gives me more time to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. And I have plenty of things to do with my life other than spend it with a husband and children.
But like I said, I'm trying to stay open to whatever God has in mind. Be it easy or hard.
#hopefully easy
#but probably hard

So that is what I have been up to lately, if anyone cares. :)
Thank you for reading!

It isn't the great big pleasures that count the most. It's making a great deal out of the little ones. -Daddy Long Legs.

p.s. See, I told you happy posts were coming. :)