I Hope You Had a Merry Christmas

(Disclaimer: This post is pretty much nothing. So if you have something better to do, I won't be offended if you go do it.)
--
This is just a short post to say, "Hello there."
I was going to do a little post on Christmas Day like I did on Thanksgiving, just to say MERRY CHRISTMAS, but somehow I didn't get around to it.

Christmas was good this year. It was nostalgic, too, considering the fact that this was the last Christmas we will spend in this house. Next year we will be somewhere else entirely. Not sure where, but I don't mind not knowing.
I got a few books for Christmas this year. Four, to be exact. All by Lynn Austin, which is fine with me. That is what I asked for, after all. I'm trying to catch up on all of her books that I didn't know about.
Plus, a few books will come in handy for the slow January days at my new job.
And hopefully I can reach my reading goal of 13 books in 2018 (More on that in my upcoming New Year's Post).

Did anyone else get snow on Christmas? I did. And I was glad of it. It wasn't the prettiest snow ever, but it was snow. Which means I got a white Christmas. Hooray for that.
Does anyone else like snow on Christmas?
Some people are die-hard snow-haters. I can't imagine hating snow! Yes, I know it's hard to drive in. Yes, it can get ugly when it's been sitting for a few days soaking up mud. Yes, I know that snow means ice, and ice means potential danger.
But still.
I'm a romantic, and I can't change. I love snow.

Has anyone else (I know, I have a lot of questions today. This is a random post) seen the new Star Wars movie? Did you like it? Do tell me.
I'm going to see it this weekend with a friend (Amaris? See a Star Wars movie? By choice? Yes, it's true. I've decided Star Wars isn't that bad. More on that in a future post).

Also, have any of you seen The Greatest Showman? Is it as good as the trailer looks? I want to see that one as well. Perhaps I will go see it for my 20th birthday this month (pause and reflect as I realize that I won't be a teenager anymore in about 26 days).

Photo Credit: ME (by the way, I hope you appreciate this picture; I spent my last two Instax pictures to take these, and I don't have money to buy any more for awhile.)

Also, on another random note, I want to thank all of you who took part and answered the questions to my Winter Wonderland Tag. I had fun thinking of (and answering) the questions myself, so I thought it would be fun to share it as a tag.
When I first started my blog 3 years ago (more on THAT in a future post, as well!), I never would have dreamed I would have the nerve to post a tag that I thought up myself. I could barely partake in other blogger's tags! Being new at blogging sure makes a person self-conscious, that's for sure.
Thankfully, I am past all of that.
~~
Well, I think that's all. This was just sort of a catch-up post. :) Kind of a random mesh of 'what I did for Christmas', mixed with 'What are you all up to', mixed with 'a few current movies I wish to see'.
I hope you don't mind.

I wish you all the very best New Year's Eve and Day.

-Amaris
Proverbs 18:10

~ Winter Wonderland Tag ~

Hello, my little friends! 
I don't know if any of you have noticed, but... IT'S DECEMBER. And December always gets me thinking about Winter.
So, I came up with this cute little tag so that we can appreciate Winter better. Yes, yes... I know that the First Day of Winter isn't technically until December 21st... but hey.
We can still have fun with this Winter weather by doing a tag, right?  
Here are the rules!

• Link back to The Storybook Journal (Tryin' to get famous over here, peeps.)
• Answer the questions; think Winter-y thoughts! Include pictures, if you like.
• Tag at least 3 other bloggers, or more if you're feeling ambitious. :)

 Here I go:

1. Name a few things you love about Winter, and a few things you don't love so much about it.

I have a strange love-hate relationship with Winter. It is simultaneously my favorite and least favorite season in the whole year. One thing's for sure, though. Come March, I'm always ready and waiting for SPRING. 

Things I LOVE:

1. Snooooowwww. Especially the kind that clings to the trees. Who doesn't love to wake up in the morning and look out the window to see their yard covered in glistening powdered sugar...? 

2. How grey the sky is (Nah, I'm not a gloomy person; I just like grey.)

3. Cold hands. I am very intrigued by cold hands. Don't ask: you know me well enough to understand that I like strange things for no apparent reason.

Things I DO NOT LOVE:

1. Slushy, dirty, wet, depressing snow. In other words, OLD snow that needs to MELT and DIE.

2. The cooooolllllld *shivers*. TURN UP THE HEAT, WILL YOU?!?!?!?!?

3. It's too long. :( Generally speaking, I like Winter, but too much of one thing is never good (except when you're talking about God, of course). Come January, I'm pretty much ready for Spring.

2. When you were a child, did you "believe" in Santa Claus?

Why no! We didn't "do" the whole Mr. Fatty Claus thing. (*EXCUSE ME* I mean SANTA Claus...). We never did The Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny either. 

We just did God. XD 

Anyways. Last time I checked, Santa didn't die for anyone. He can't save anyone. Or am I somehow getting this mixed up? *shrugs*

3. Is there a book or movie that you really love to read in the Winter as opposed to other times of year?

I like to watch (and read!) Bleak House in the Winter. It's kind of a Winter-y series- complete with oppressive gloom, cloudy, depressing skies and shivering poor people. I mean, Charles Dickens wrote it, so you know it's "bleak" for sure.

I also like to read the Lord of the Rings in the Wintertime. Not the whole series, but I love to pick out my favorite sections throughout the trilogy (#Faramir and Eowyn #aw yiss).

For some reason, whenever I imagine dangerous medieval quests, I imagine them to be in Winter. I don't know why.

4. Is there a particular Christmas movie that you watch EVERY year as tradition?

When I was growing up, we would always watch It's a Wonderful Life (because you know... Jimmy Stewart is the best and why else?) around Christmastime, but I think last year we watched White Christmas instead, which was also pretty enjoyable. 

5. Do you usually get a real tree or a fake tree for Christmas? Who's in charge of decorating it at your house?

Every year, for as long as I can remember, we've gotten a REAL tree. Sure, you have to clean up the needles. Sure, you have to remember to water it. Sure, you gotta haul it in and haul it out every year. Sure, it's harder to put the lights on because the needles STICK you. Sure, sure, sure. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE LIKE TO DO, OK.

*tosses head*  

6. Does your family usually stay home or go visiting (friends, relatives, etc.) on Christmas Day?

We always, always, ALWAYS stay home on Christmas Day. Sometimes we go places on Christmas EVE, but on Christmas DAY we stay home. I think Christmas would be ruined for me if I had to GO anywhere. :P

7. What does your family usually do on New Years Eve? Any traditions? Do you ever stay up till midnight?

Yes, and yes. We always stay up till midnight. We play games and eat homemade appetizers. We turn on the TV and watch 'The Ball" drop in New York. We go out on the porch and say "Happy New Year". Then, we go to bed. Sound like fun?
O

8. Do you get snow where you live? If so, have you ever built a snowman and named him Olaf?

Why, no. I can sing the song, though.

9. If it's snowing outside, would you prefer to go outside and build snowmen and enjoy it, or would you rather stay inside with a blanket and something hot to drink and maybe a movie or a book? 

It depends on the kind of snow it is (such as sticky, or wet and soppy, etc), and what sort of mood I'm in at the time. I usually like to stay inside and look out the window, but I have been guilty of enjoying the snow out-of-doors too.

10. When do you start looking forward to or getting excited about Spring?

Well, every Winter, Spring seems to be in the back of my mind. I ALWAYS look forward to Spring, even in the SUMMER I like Spring the best. But I would say that after my birthday and after Valentine's day, there's nothing else for me to look forward to, so I just keep looking for Spring. 

So yeah, after Valentine's day. :)

~*~*~

Well, there you go. I hope you enjoy my little tag. :) Have a good Winter, peeps! I tried to post this close to Christmas, but not TOO close so that people would still have time to do it!

I tag:
Morgan LuAnn
Natalie
Cordy
Abbie C.

Here is the list of questions:

1. Name a few things you love about Winter, and a few things you don't love so much about it.
2. When you were a child, did you "believe" in Santa Claus?
3. Is there a book or movie that you really love to read in the Winter as opposed to other times of year?
4. Is there a particular Christmas movie that you watch EVERY year as tradition?
5. Do you usually get a real tree or a fake tree for Christmas? Who's in charge of decorating it at your house?
6. Does your family usually stay home or go visiting (relatives, friends, etc.) on Christmas Day?
7. What does your family usually do on New Years Eve? Any traditions? Do you ever stay up till midnight?
8. Do you get snow where you live? If so, have you ever built a snowman and named him Olaf?
9. If it's snowing outside, would you prefer to go outside and build snowmen and enjoy it, or would you rather stay inside with a blanket and something hot to drink and maybe a movie or a book?
10. When do you start looking forward to or getting excited about Spring?

-Amaris

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

October // 2016 // Favorites

What have I been up to, you say? 

I'm glad you asked! 

Watching: 

Death Comes to Pemberley. I wanted to wait until I finished the book before I watched it. It's really good so far. It has some beautiful shots, and I really like the actor for Darcy. 

Reading:

Gone With the Wind. And believe me, as wonderful and great as the movie is, I like the book ten times better. My favorite thing about it is that I am learning a ton about the Civil War, but the book does NOT sound like a Civil War textbook! :)

Wearing:
This hat. All the time. Because I can.

Eating:

Juice Plus smoothies and homemade cabbage and beef soup (a couple of favorites in my household).

Hoping for:

A white Christmas. I don't mind letting you know that it does snow during the Winter where I live. But it hasn't snowed on CHRISTMAS for like six years. I guess I can only hope that it might this year. *crosses fingers*

Looking Forward To:
The Adam Young Score for December 1st!

Enjoying: 

The Fall weather. Even if it's freezing in the morning and really hot later in the day.

Pinning: 

Onto my new Pinterest account. Sometimes, my friends, you just need a fresh start. 

Thinking Up: 

A new blog look for Winter 2016-17.

Believing: 

In John 16:33.

CRYING:
 OVER THIS PICTURE. *distant sobbing* Sorry guys, Titanic is one of my weaknesses. I don't have ancestors who were on the actual ship or anything like that, but I just get ridiculously sentimental over it every time. XD

LOOK AT THE TIME THO. *cries*

 

Drawing:
This random bubble that I saw on Pinterest. I guess it's good. *shrug*

Obsessing:

Over a certain movie that is in a genre that I usually don't like. I'm trying to think of "The Perfect Review" to write for you guys. :)

Discovering:
The more I get older (which is just a sorry thing in itself), the more I find myself agreeing with the parent's side in a movie, rather than the teenager's side.  *sigh* It's that thin dividing line, guys.

Listening To:
Britt Nicole's new song. (This is the only song on the album that I like, however. :P Not too crazy about the rest of it.) Also, Mount Rushmore, the new AY score for November. "Four Faces" is the BEST. It's seriously so pretty. Just CLICK AND LISTEN. You'll like it. :)

While I'm on that note: 
Realizing:
That I CAN and WILL do anything and everything in my house (especially housework) with Adam Young Scores playing in the background. Seriously, guys. These scores are a gift to my life. 

And now you know what I am up to!

Have a good day! Remember, you will never get to live 2016 again, so make it count for Jesus!
:) 

So, This is Random...

I am in the middle making the Christmas list that my mom has been begging me to give her. She likes to shop early and get everyone's presents out of the way. (Well, it's not THAT early, actually...)
Anyways, I have a couple of books on the list already but I thought it would be a good idea to hear YOUR GUY'S recommendations.
I really like all kinds of books, except for maybe Sci-fi and horror.

So here's what you do: Comment your five favorite books of all time (or just a few that you like really well), and I'll take a look at them online and maybe add some to the list.
Thank you for your help! :)

p.s. I will keep this post open on the blog for anyone who wants to recommend a book at any time, even if it's five years from now. :) I don't mind comments on old post, and by all means, tell me your favorite books!

Merry Christmas Everyone

Wow. I just realized that I haven't written a single Christmas-related post until now. Good going, Phoebe.
MY APOLOGIES.
But here's a video for you, and I hope that this year you don't forget to see the Gift.

Merry Christmas, Everybody.

-Phoebe