// 2018: A Summary //

Hello, peeps! I have returned with a 2018 review... and I'm only about two weeks late, hehe. :)
But that's ok. This year, I decided that I will do the 'New Years Tag' thing that I've seen floating around various blogs for the past couple of years.
Let's get started.

From my Instagram @amaris_todd

// The Year 2018 // 

What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?
I went to an outdoor theater for the first time!!! It was such a fun experience.

Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make one this year?
I only had one goal, to try to watch more movies. And I succeeded!! I watched over 50  movies this year! I am planning on publishing my 'big epic movie list of 2018' soon, so that you can see what I thought of each movie I watched this year.

What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
I would like to have more education in art, and a laptop. :)

What date from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory?
This might sound dumb, but that would be the day I got my first smartphone, the iPhone X. The day we got it, we went to Lion's Choice afterward, and every time we go to that same location, I remember the mood and the vibes I had from that first day I got my phone.
Oh, and also May 20th! The day we officially moved! I remember what it was like to spend the last night in my old room.... a very unique feeling. It's like going away for vacation, knowing you'll miss your home but you'll soon be back... except you won't be back. And you know it.

@amaris_todd

What was the best month?
Possibly July, because the VBS that I taught in was absolutely amazing. October was also really good, because I attended an art class and did a lot of other fun stuff with my best friend that month. :)

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Probably just the things that God taught me this year about Him, and how that will affect my teaching children about God.

What was your biggest failure?
That I didn't read more books.  :( I really love books, but unfortunately at the end of many stressful days this year, I just didn't feel like a book. I hope to improve on this more in the coming year, though!

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing a moon exhibit at our local science center! They had the entire command module from Apollo 11. :) It was really fun to see. I also just got generally more excited to hang out with friends more, which is more than I ever used to do.

@amaris_todd

What was an unexpected surprise? 
God brought a few friendships to me that I didn't know would be so important to me, and I'm so glad He did. <3 I also started going to a different church. It was difficult, since I'd been going to my previous church for 10+ years, but I'm so glad I did and I know I'm supposed to be at this new church.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
If I had gotten out and exercised more. :/

How did you spend Christmas?
It was just a small party of me and two others. We spent the day inside relaxing and doing activities. I worked on drawing. It was rather nice.

How did you spend New Year’s?
We pretty much did the above answer, but add watching 'Forrest Gump' and eating homemade chili. :)

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018:
I don't have to do or be anything to make God love me more. He already loves me, once and for all, whether my day is good or bad.
Also, if you pretend to be something you're not to impress/make other people happy, it's gonna get old eventually. Be you. If you don't know what 'you' is, figure it out and don't be afraid to be it. Negative people are everywhere. Even people you think are close to you might be a source of negativity in your life. Watch out for them, and don't change who you are for them unless you know God is using them to change you. <3

@amaris_todd

Compared to this time last year, are you: 
Happier or sadder? Sadder.But don't be alarmed... I'm a sad person in general. It's the way of things for me right now. Nothing has directly caused me to be sad.
Thinner or fatter? I have to admit a bit fatter. But I am hoping to walk more this year, and also eat more vegetables, to live the best life of taking care of the body God so graciously gave me! :) 
Richer or poorer? Well, I'm definitely making more money than this time last year, but I also have more expenses now... so it kind of evens out. 

Five things I want to do in 2019:
1. Make memories with my friends more, and be there for people.
2. Keep drawing!
3. Take overall mental and physical health more seriously.
4. Keep growing closer to God and learning from Him.
5. Explore more of my hometown- such as best restaurants, places to go, attractions, etc.!

What kept you sane?
God, my best friend Tessa (This Great Adventure!), and my good friend I made through VBS, Maggie.

Did you move anywhere? 
Yes! We moved about 20 minutes away from our old house on May 20th, 2018. The good thing is that I am now 2 minutes from my job, which is right down the street!I love that setup, hehe. I also quit my job at Michael's in April. But that was a good change.

Did you try anything local from your hometown that you've never tried before? 
I'm planning on exploring more of my town this year, but I did go to an outdoor theater during Summer 2018, and I really liked it! :)

What countries/states did you visit? 
Absolutely none. This, unfortunately, was a source of depression for me this year, because I love to travel and see things and go places (my mom calls me a 'free bird'), and I didn't have the money or the time to, nor was I in a position to travel, which makes me rather sad.
The saddest part is, this is the 4th year in a row I haven't traveled far from my home. I feel kinda stuck sometimes. Also I'm poor.
...
Ok that answer was depressing. *fake laugh*

Where did most of your money go?
Other than general expenses from living in an apartment (which are b o r i n g), probably clothes. I kind of figured a style for myself in 2018 too... but I'm still learning about that.

What was the best thing you bought? 
You know the answer! :) My iPhone X.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Thankfully, no.

What did you want and get?
Better drawing skills. :)

What did you want and not get?
So many things...like an iPad to start drawing digitally. :|

@amaris_todd

Did you fall in love in 2017?
Nope. I'll admit a few people caught my eye tho (*nervous laughter while hoping they never read this hehe ehe*), but nothing came of that.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 20 on my birthday, and.... if I remember correctly, I think we went shopping. I bought myself some clothes and makeup and stuff.

Did anyone close to you give birth or get pregnant?
Nope.

Did anyone close to you get married?
Nope.

Did anyone close to you die? 
Thankfully nope.

Who was the best new person you met?
I actually made some good friends online, once I got my phone. Several who actually read my blog, but blogging is kind of impersonal as far as chatting back and forth individually, so I didn't know what great peeps they were until I started chatting with them on Instagram! Social media also helped me re-connect with people I used to know when I was younger and doing homeshcooling, and I'm so glad because I never knew what great people they were and now we can hang out.

@amaris_todd

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Trying, haha.
Actually, towards the end of the year I started taking my person fashion style more seriously. As mentioned previously, I'm still figuring things out and learning with fashion, but overall I'm more confident about my clothing choices than I was this time last year, and I'm happy with a number of clothing items I acquired in 2018!

What was the best book you read?
Show Them Jesus, by Jack Klumpenhower. Second most influential book I've ever read so far, hands down (the first being the Bible, of course). I actually read it twice in 2018, hehe.

What were your favorite books of this year?
I sadly didn't read a lot of books this year. :P I am working on 'Where We Belong' by Lynn Austin right now, which I started late in 2018, and I'm halfway through! It's pretty good. :)

What was your favorite TV show?
Poldark seasons 1-3 (we're gonna catch up and watch season 4 soon!). I also started randomly watching Victoria (with Jenna Coleman) one evening, and I kept watching because I looovee it. I am sad there was only a couple of seasons. Apparently they are making new episodes for 2019 and I can't wait! It's a beautiful, beautiful show. :)

@amaris_todd

What were your favorite films of this year?
I'm going to save that for my 'big epic movie list of 2018' post. :)

What was the best concert you’ve been to this year?
I don't really enjoy concerts very often because I get sensory overload (and big dark loud rooms with flashing lights kinda trigger my anxiety), but I did go to see MercyMe and I loved him. <3

What song/album will always remind you of 2017?
Owl City's Cinematic album came out on June 6th! I loved listening to it this year.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
The old band, Queen! I saw the movie 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in theaters and loved it, and it further assisted my growing Queen obsession. :) I don't recommend all the titles, but there are a lot of songs I do love. :) Same goes for Michael Jackson, whose music I also 'discovered' this year!
It was a good year, musically. I also started listening to more oldies (Dean Martin... ahhh... *heart eyes*), and reconnected with how much I love vintage. <3

@amaris_todd

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Tell me why I look back and I want to cry,
Sometimes I feel like we grew up too fast
You and I had the time of our younger lives
Sometimes I sigh and think about the past

But it's alright, cause everthing changes.
Owl City - Firebird (Alt. version)

// The End //

Well, peeps, that about sums it up. It was the craziest year of my life, and I changed more this year than I ever have. You know how there are some things you think will never change? Well, if you're between the ages of 15-25, think again, because it probably will. Almost everything I thought would never change, changed in 2018. That's the biggest reason it was such a crazy year!

It was a lot of change, but somehow I'm ok with it. I can always look back with fondness on the things I used to love and on the way things used to be, but there's so much more ahead. So, so much.
I read a (rather basic) quote on Instagram the other day.
 "Don't look back, you're not going that way"

Even though it's kinda basic and cliche, it inspired me.
I can't wait to see what 2019 holds. I am so excited.

Until next time, friends.
-Amaris

// 2016: A Summary //

Hello, my friends.
This is the post in which I re-visit all the best highlights of 2016. 
I am blessed to say that 2016 (in spite of the stress involving Nov. 4th) was a fantastic year for me. It was by far one of my most happy and productive years of my life so far (and I've only lived 18...).
It's the beginning of my illustrious career as an adult.
I saw things and did things that I have never done before.

I imagine this will be a long post, so I better get going.

APRIL:

I met my first famous person! That would be Markus Zusak, author of the Book Thief. :) He talked with us and told jokes and said "hi" to everyone (wow just like a real human) and then he signed all of our books! It was a pretty great experience, because I've never actually been to an author event before. Here's a post I wrote on my experience.

MAY:

I (FINALLY) graduated from ye old High School. How does it feel being graduated, you ask? Let's just say I miss school, but I also DON'T miss school... at all. And I don't like all the expectations that come with being 18-going-on-19. I mean, chill people. If I don't want to go to college right away (or even at all), that doesn't mean my life won't be a success, or whatever. Don't you watch Blimey Cow?

JUNE:

I spent two whole weeks away from home when I went to camp. We learned to teach Bible Clubs to little kids. I met some great (and not so great) people, and I feel like the experience really broadened my view of the world and people's opinions. It was really neat to see God work right in front of my eyes as we ministered to the kids and it was a blessing to everyone involved. Before you ask, YES I'm going again next year. :)

JULY:

I had my first surgery! No, nothing serious. I didn't almost die. I was only getting my tonsils out. It was quite a painful ordeal though, don't get me wrong. I mean, I was able to relax on the couch for 14 days, but I wasn't exactly comfortable. I ate Jell-O (LOTS of Jell-O), I watched Sherlock and Call the Midwife and did lots of browsing on Pinterest. Yay. So fun.

SEPTEMBER:

It's weird to call this one of the highlights of 2016, but I FELT MY FIRST EARTHQUAKE.
I've always wanted to feel one, which is why this was a big deal to me.
It wasn't a huge one, and fortunately, the earth DID NOT crack open beneath my feet and swallow me up into a deep chasm of nothingness.
I was sitting on my bed doing some writing (what else...) and I started to sway back and forth suddenly. I had no idea what was going on (I figured I was dizzy or something) until I saw some necklaces that were hanging on my wall swinging back and forth, and then I knew that HOLY MOLY THIS WAS AN EARTHQUAKE.
It was very interesting.
At least now I can say "Oh yeah, I felt an earthquake once..."

DECEMBER:

I wanted to add December in here because I actually had a great one. It was a little hard toward the end because of CERTAIN situations, but I enjoyed the Christmas season pretty good.
I went to like... *counts on fingers* 4 Christmas parties (usually I don't go to any), I actually tried out some Christmas volunteer work (thanks to my best friend for inviting me... you better know I'll be back to help next year), and I went to this beautiful street near my house where all these drama volunteers walk around as Christmas characters (Ebenezer Scooge, Kris Kringle, Jack Frost, Dickens Carolers, Santas from around the world, etc.) and you get to talk to them and collect their 'character cards' and they never once break character (not ONCE) and there's glowing lights and quaint little shops and homemade cookies and hot chocolate and the crisp Winter air and the gladness of Christmas cheer on the faces of everyone you meet.
It was simply glorious.
And that's coming from me, who is not usually a "Christmas loving person". Oh, don't get me wrong, I love JESUS, I just get tired of songs, and "Happy Holidays", and grinch music. And candy canes. Don't ever give me candy canes for Christmas. I will hate you.

And a couple of Random High Points:
The Best book that comes to mind: Gone With the Wind. Guys. This. Book. Let's just say it's one of the best books I've read in a long time. :) The Circle Series deserves an honorable mention here as well. This year I'd like to keep better track of how many books I read. It will be easier now that I have a Goodreads profile.
The Best movie: Wow, don't get me wrong but I actually didn't watch a lot of movies this year. I mostly watched TV shows. We did get VidAngel, which has enabled us to watch some movies that we couldn't watch before because of CERTAIN content, *ahem*, and that has been pretty cool.
While I'm on the subject of movies, also in December my best friend had me over to her house and I FINALLY SAW THE FIRST STAR WARS. That is, Number Four (A New Hope).
And GET THIS: I actually enjoyed it. I always thought it was stupid that everyone LOVED the Star Wars movies so much, but now that I have actually seen it, it isn't so bad.
A week later I saw the second movie (The Empire Strikes Back) with some friends, and I liked THIS one even better. I can't really form an opinion of the entire "fandom" yet, because right now I've only seen 2 out of 8 movies. Therefore, my opinion of what I've seen matters little at this point. (*whispers* except that I like it so far).
Moving on.
The best TV Show: You know the answer: Call the Midwife and Sherlock BBC.These two shows made up the majority of what I watched this year in TV Shows. What? No, I don't like British shows, why do you ask?

My Writing Progress: Actually I didn't write very much this year. As you can see, I WAS TOO BUSY. It seriously hurt, keeping my ideas all pent up inside. I'll tell you one thing. I don't 'do' New Year's Resolutions, but if there's one thing that I want to improve in 2017, it's my writing. That is, how MUCH I get done.
But it's just hard, you know? Let's just say that I hate writing first drafts more than anything in the world. :P
I do love my ideas and stories too much to let that stop me, so I just have to work on it.
*sigh*

Favorite Concert this year: I'm not really a 'concert person' (crowds and loud noises and big dark rooms with bright lights are NOT my thing at all. In fact they make me really nervous) but I do go sometimes if I like the artist well enough.
This year the best concert was MercyMe back in April. Seriously, I love those guys, and the concert was sensational.
For those of you who don't know MercyMe,  I gotta share a couple of their songs: Flawless (seriously listen to the words, people!), Greater (again, hear these words, my friends), and Wishful Thinking  (beautiful, I love this song).

Favorite songs and bands for the year: This year I really enjoyed those songs mentioned above, as well as two other songs I've mentioned in a previous post, Be the Change, and Through Your Eyes by Britt Nicole (she's been a favorite of mine for years). And of course Owl City is still one of my favorites, as well as Casting Crowns, Danny Gokey, and others.
Of course my very favorite music this year has to be the Adam Young Scores. But I am not going to talk about them at ALL right now because I want to write a whole post on them soon.

So: What are my plans for the new year? Get this: I literally have none. I'm just hoping it will be another good year. I kinda feel bad saying that 2016 was a good year for me, because a lot of my friends (both my internet friends and my 'real life' friends) are saying that 2016 was so ridiculously hard as well as emotional for them.
I express my sympathy and prayers for those people, but I am also grateful at the same time for how this year turned out for ME.
God did some great things in my life. He showed me how to take care of myself, He taught me to love my enemies (Yes, surprise, I do have enemies), and He told me who I was.
Not only am I a child of God, but I am unique and special to Him, just like everyone is.
This year I discovered the Meyer's Briggs Personality Type Indicator, and that helped me get to know the people around me as well as myself. It helped me discover that the Human creation is really such a special thing, and superior to all that God has made.
We have to remember that life is not about sitting around waiting for God to give us a good year. It's about trusting Him with everything, and believing who He says we are- in HIM. That is, his precious children. This is true in the good years AND the hard years.
That is what I pray for all of us in 2017.
Remember to enjoy life, for everyone only has one.
Life is hard, but let's not take for granted its lovely side.

AND THAT ABOUT WRAPS UP MY NEW YEARS POST.
Thanks for sticking around to the end! I know I will enjoy looking back and reading this in the years ahead. 
I wish you all the very best year! Keep on posting, my friends. I do enjoy reading about you all. Even if I could never meet most of you. :) As for me, I posted 29 times this year!
Just for funsies, here's my last New Year's Post. :)
Here is a good verse to sum up my year, and I hope you will be encouraged as well!

 2 Corinthians 5:1
"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands."

See you later!
-Amaris

Ah, January. We meet again.

Well, I didn't post a thing for Christmas except for on Christmas day, and I'm only now getting to my new year's post on January 3rd. If I don't hurry, the year won't be new anymore at all. Let me take this opportunity to say first off:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Yay 2016!!!!!

It's been a great year. Yes, I know everyone says that but I'll say it too, thank you. It's been a GREAT year. 

In 2015: 

I started my blog!!!

...and I have a grand total of: two followers! Not much, I know. But it's quite a lot, considering I expected none. I wanted to start this blog for like 2 years, because I just loved all the sweet blogs out there, and I wanted to be a part of it all. Because talking about books and movies and pretty things is my favorite thing.

I saw a whole heap of movies that I'd been meaning to watch for the longest time. Such as War Horse, The Book Thief, and Testament of Youth. The highlight for movies this year is Gone With the Wind, which I had never seen before. I suggested to my family that we see it, seeing as how it was so popular and all, and I'm not really sure if they liked it or not because the whole thing ended up in a torrent of tears after that last scene. But I suppose they did because we did end up getting it for Christmas. :) 

I also finally saw Pride & Prejudice 1995, and I perfectly agree, it is the one and only BEST version out there. Almost every single scene was exactly how I pictured it in my mind when I read the book. All in all, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Oh and I saw Cinderella when it came out back in March. GORGEOUS movie, people. If you haven't watched yet, you're missing out. 

I went ice skating for the first time in like 4 years with a lovely homeschool family, and then we all went to some vintage/antique/novelty shops during Chrismastime and I bought meself an old hat and we ate cookies and got hot chocolate and GOSH it was a swell time. Definitely one of the highlights of my year. 

I got my first job. :) And I do enjoy working, I really do. Much more than I expected, I think.

I really enjoyed this scene. I enjoyed every scene. I love this movie.

I read the longest book in my life (so far): Bleak House, by Charles Dickens, and enjoyed it very much. In fact, I read a lot of good books this year. It was a good year, book-wise.

The most notable besides Bleak House is the Ascendance Trilogy, by Jennefer Nielson (I'm tempted to write a whole post on those books because I just want to go on and on about how good they are and how much I love them and GAH I love the characters so much and I've never SEEN such amazing plot twists in a single book before). 

 Also a highlight was 'Son', by Lois Lowry, which I got for Christmas, and had it finished within 3 days. It's supposed to be the conclusion to her other book, The Giver.  I really, really enjoyed 'Son'. It read kind of like a fairy tale, but it was just like the Giver in a lot of ways, so it's hard to describe it. You just have to read it to see what I'm talking about. But you'll have to read The Giver first to understand it, though, even though that one isn't as good, in my opinion.

I met a friend from Pinterest...by accident. I was at a conference and I just happened to run into someone who had the same name as a profile on Pinterest who I enjoyed commenting with, and she turned out to be the very same person! It was really neat meeting her. So now I just want to meet everyone I follow on Pinterest because I know you're all just so interesting in real life as well as in your, shall we say, internet life. :)

Last, but CERTAINLY not least: 

  

Jesus taught me so much this year. So. Much.

One lesson that sticks out in my mind is a certain verse that He showed me in John. 

While it seems that the world is chaotic (and getting to be more and more so), and the darkness of evil and sin is all around us, I was encouraged in 2015 by a promise He gave to His disciples (and to us) in John 16:33. 

"These things I have spoken to you , so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (NISB)

Did you read that? You want me to say it again? HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD, PEOPLE. There's nothing we need to worry about because He's got this.         

He's ready to guide our steps into the coming year, just like He did in 2015. Are you ready?! I certainly am! :D 

-Phoebe

Do you have any resolutions for 2016?