Tag Archives: Inspiration

Currently Obsessed With: January 2020

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I feel like it’s been quite a while since I’ve done one of these!  This is my monthly recap post, and they’re few and far between these days.  But since I’m journaling more, I thought it would be fun to start doing them again.  I ended up writing this post a little bit later than I wanted to but I got distracted by other things.  Better late than never!

Especially because I’m writing everything down in my Currently 2020 workbook.  I can only speak for January, obviously, but it was really fun to write down the good things that happened and the stuff I read, watched and listened to.

I’m not going to lie, drawing isn’t something I typically do.  When I do, I go for things like flowers.  I go for something super basic.  But considering creating is something I want to focus on this year, I felt like a pencil and paper was pretty appropriate.  And while I don’t know why I went for circles, I just know I wanted to draw a bunch of circles!

Inspired By:

1917.  This actually sparked an idea for me in terms of a NaNo project, and the idea of trying to get a message to people in perilous times really speaks to me for some reason.  I haven’t worked out how I’d do it, but it is hovering in the background as an idea.

Journaling.  I just feel like handwriting things now, and I think I’m having as much fun picking out pens as I am making lists and writing how my month went.  I honestly forgot how much I liked and missed journaling, and I really am glad I’m doing it again.  I just want to write all the things, even if it’s the alphabet!

Shutterbean!  I love her blog so, so much, and her blog is a big reason why I started journaling again.  I’ve been using her food journal for months, which has been interesting but helpful, and I love seeing the photos she shares from her own life.

What I Watched:

On Netflix, I watched V Wars, which was really cool.  It ended up being on in the background while I did other stuff so at some point, I might re-watch it.  A virus turns people into vampires, and two friends find themselves on opposing sides, and that definitely caught my interest.

I also re-watched old episodes/watched new episodes of the Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved the t.v. show with Melissa Joan Hart back in the day, but I also love how different/dark this version is.

I’ve been re-watching the Blacklist, and for the first time ever, I’m actually watching Dr Who live.  I stopped watching somewhere during the Peter Capaldi years (when it disappeared off Netflix) , so I have some seasons I need to catch up on.  I’m determined to catch up one day.  Maybe soon, I’ll go back and re-watch from the beginning.

Movie-wise, I saw 1917, which was really good, and Dolittle, which was pretty enjoyable.  I have to say, Robert Downey Jr is a pretty solid choice to be Dolittle.

Reading:

Well, quite a lot.  This is 99% a book blog.  But Navigating The Stars and Stay Sexy And Don’t Get Murdered stand out as audio books, which I don’t do nearly enough.  And Zero Repeat Forever made the list because it was my book club read.

Thinking About:

Going to therapy!  I used to go years and years ago, and stopped.  Part of me feels like I don’t have anything to talk about but there are a few things I want to work on and process.

Also, blanket storage.  I have a ton of crocheted blankets, with 3 in progress, plus a couple more I want to work.  I’m not at a point where I need storage, but it’s something I’m going to have to do at some point.

Listening To:

The My Favorite Murder backlog.  I have gone back to the first episode and listening to old episodes when I need something different to listen to.  I’ve done a couple of audio books, plus I have one going right now, so it’s on the back burner temporarily, but it always makes me feel better!  Now that I’m not on the Saturday schedule- I don’t mind working Saturdays but I’m also glad my Saturday shifts are done- I should be able to get a little more listening time in, whether it’s a book or podcasts.

As far as music goes, I haven’t been listening to a lot.  But there are two songs I’ve been listening to a lot: Wicked Game by Emika, and Burn It Down by Fitz And The Tantrums.  I haven’t been in a music mood lately, and if I do listen to music, it’s on for a couple of minutes before I switch to something else.

Dream Life:

Here’s the thing with dreams: I know I dream.  I remember dreaming.  I know they’re really vivid.  I just can’t remember my dreams for the life of me.

Well, for the most part.  I remember the occasional dream, and I’ve taken to keeping my phone next to me in case I wake up, remember a dream, and can type it in my dream notes.

The only dream I remember having is this one: the dream where Blockbuster was still open.

That’s it.  That’s the dream.  It’s the only detail I remember.  I wish I could add more detail but I honest-to-goodness can’t.  Maybe this month, I’ll have some dreams I can share.  There’s one that super-weird but I’m going to be terrible and not tell you now, because I want to save it for the next recap, just in case it’s my only one.

Researching:

Therapists!  I need to find someone who takes my insurance, and I know there’s one place I can go, but I’m curious to see what else is out there.  I suppose I could have done this in the Thinking About section, but I think I’m going to leave it here.

Craft supply storage!  I wanted to organize my pens and notebooks a little more, so I spent some time researching rolling carts.  I have since gone to Michael’s and purchased a couple of carts, and getting that semi-organized will be really nice!

Eating + Drinking:

Tea And Water.  Mostly because I had a cold for about a week or two, and coffee tasted terrible.  That’s how I knew I was sick…because normally coffee is not terrible.  Smoothies too, because I’ve really wanted to eat fruit, and berries looked good, but because I am weird, I can only have berries in smoothies.

And soup.  Again, I was sick for a bit, so soup sounded good.  Plus, I had some leftover, frozen turkey from Thanksgiving I wanted to use up, and turkey soup was really comforting.

Grateful For:

A new year!  I don’t know why, but this year, I’ve felt a need for a fresh start and setting goals/intentions/resolutions for the year.  I just feel so excited about what I want to do for this year.

Time to write.  I’ve been journaling and blogging- mostly at the library because I really want to work it in somehow.  Saturday morning is my usual writing time, and it took some time to figure out when else I could write, but I’m glad I took the time to write on different days and times, instead of just not writing.  It’s kind of nice, when traffic is really terrible, to stop at the library and write until traffic dies down.

And I’m also grateful Mysterious Galaxy is staying open!  I was sad to hear that they lost their lease, but they have since found new owners and a new location, so I’ll be able to go to book club and the really cool author events they have!

The Good Things:

I’m actually going to share this page, and while it’s pretty simple, I also really like it!  Mostly because I really want to write down this quote from The Bone Houses that I really liked somewhere.  I wanted to fill the page with something cool.  Making note of quotes from the books I read…I don’t usually do that, but there’s been a few that I liked enough to write down.

As for good things that happened, I feel like it’s pretty self-explanatory but there are the things I wanted to remember for the beginning of the year.

Some of it, I already talked about, like journaling, a fresh start, and Mysterious Galaxy staying open.  Getting organized- I’ve made a good start with looking at storage options, but now it’s time to actually do it.

But I mostly just want to talk about the book signing for Chosen by Kiersten White!  She’s also fun to see, and I love going to her book signings.  I’ve never seen Buffy, even though I always meant to after going to the signing for Slayer last year.  Thankfully, you don’t need to have watched Buffy in order to read the book, which is nice.  I can say I’m going to watch it someday as much as I want, but who knows?  Maybe it’s something I’ll actually get around to doing this year.  Don’t quote me on that, because I told myself I was going to watch it all before this signing, and I never did so…yeah.  Following through is not always my strong suit.

I honestly think that’s all for this recap.  I’ll see everyone soon, and for now, enjoy the sunset!

Book Review: This Song Will Save Your Life

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This Song Will Save Your Life CoverBook: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Expected Publication Is September 17, 2013 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux|Expected Number Of Pages: 287

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Goodreads|You Can Find Leila Sales on Facebook or Twitter

This Song Will Save Your Life is an E-ARC from netgalley.com, which has not influenced my review in any way.  

Goodreads Summary: Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, Leila Sales’ THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

I absolutely loved This Song Will Save Your Life!  This is such a special book and I am so glad I read it!

This Song Will Save Your Life is about more than Elise’s unpopularity at school.  She finds something she loves and she finds a pretty eclectic group of friends at Start.

There was a point early on in the book that was really hard to read: Elise’s suicide attempt.  We do see Elise cutting herself and realizing she doesn’t really want to die after all.  While it was hard to read, it was also handled with a lot of care, and really well done.

I loved Elise, and she is my favorite character of the whole book.  But I do have a soft spot for Vicky and Mel.  It was really easy to relate to Elise (even though I’ve never been bullied), and I feel like we could totally be friends in real life.  Also: I think we all need a Vicky in our lives.

I loved Elise’s walks and how she stumbled across Start and had this whole other life that only she and her new friends knew about.  She really found a great friend in Vicky and even Pippa seemed pretty cool.  Until she wasn’t, but they seemed to be sort of okay by the end of the book.  I also liked Char for most of the book, and how he became Elise’s mentor.  But his unhappiness at her getting offered Friday nights even though she’s younger and not as experienced as him…I just couldn’t like him after that!

Speaking of music/becoming a DJ…I really liked how important music was to Elise and how being a DJ helped boost her confidence.  There are so many songs referenced throughout the book, and now I feel like checking out all of them, because they’re songs I’m not familiar with at all.  I also like that each chapter had song lyrics at the beginning.

As much as I loved This Song Will Save Your Life, there is one thing I didn’t like.  For most of the book, Elise is bullied quite a few of her classmates.  There’s this one girl Elise calls during her suicide attempt, and that girl calls 911.  So, this blog appears one day, and even though Elise knows it isn’t her, and she tells a couple girls she’s friendly with that it isn’t her, the entire school thinks it’s Elise’s blog about how suicidal she is. And it turns out that the girl Elise called told someone, who used it as living art project or something.  The girl gets suspended but Elise doesn’t want to say anything about it.  Until her parents find out, because there’s this one post that makes it seem like she was going to kill her self, and when her parents realize she’s not at home, they naturally find out about the blog, and go to the school to talk to the vice principal, and that particular thing gets taken care of.

The part I didn’t like?  Elise, all of a sudden, seems awfully friendly with the people who have bullied her for most of her school life.  It did happen after she appeared in the local paper for her new gig as a DJ.  For me, it happened a little too fast, and even though I’ve never been bullied (and I can’t even begin to imagine what that’s like), it seemed a little too weird for me.

Final Thoughts:

Other than the moment I just mentioned, I just loved This Song Will Save Your Life. It’s such an amazing story, and I found Elise to be a character I could completely connect with.  I loved her journey, and there’s something very, very special about This Song Will Save Your Life.  This Song Will Save Your Life gets 5+ stars.

At Least I Have A Plot

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So, it’s that time of year when I go completely insane.

It’s time for NaNoWriMo, which means I’ll be writing a 50,000 word novel next month.

I am quite relieved to have a plot and 2 characters who are named, which is a big improvement.  A week ago, I only had a genre…and now I know the names of 2 characters and a plot!  It’s quite exciting, and I have the feeling I’ll be pantsing it more than normal this year.

I knew I wanted to write something YA, and I decided contemporary was what I wanted to go with.  Something paranormal would be cool, but I honestly don’t have the energy for it this year.  Maybe next year.

Tucker and Holly don’t like each other, and have to work together to keep the local factory from closing because their don’t want their parents to lose their jobs.  Along the way, they become friends.

I really like this idea, and while it doesn’t have to be a factory, I like the idea of their parents losing their jobs because of something closing down.  They really will have to set their differences aside, because of what will happen if the factory does get closed down.  I’m hoping I can work out the details a little more, but if I don’t, that’s totally okay.  I definitely need to get the job thing figured out, since that’s kind of important.  But of that’s all I get figured out, cool.  If I work out more than that, that’s also cool.

This brings me to the ever-important playlist.  I think it’ll be heavy on Taylor Swift, but I’ll definitely be looking through my music collection and see what seems to fit.

It is weird writing one novel- it’s been quite a few years since I’ve written one novel, and I’m so used to writing 2, that one novel is really strange.  But honestly?  One novel seems right.  Besides, I’m having enough trouble working on one idea, so two just seems weird.

This year, more than any other year, I’m really okay with just going with it.  Whatever happens, happens.

Well, I say that now.  Who knows how I’ll really feel when I actually start writing on Thursday?  I’m sure this year will go a lot better than last year, but either way, NaNo is always interesting, and I’m sure this year will be no exception.

Sara Haze

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I am a big fan of Sara Haze.  I think I came across her music on Pandora…or was it the recommendation thing on iTunes?

Either way, I’m a fan.  I have only, like, 3 songs of hers, but I’ve heard a few others of hers on Pandora.  So there won’t be an album ranking or anything like that.

Cold In California- that song pops up a lot.  I like it.  But I think Lovely is my favorite song that I’ve heard.  The Big Lie and Shine are really good songs too.  There’s something very uplifting and positive about her music, and I can’t help but smile and feel happy.  Listening to her music always puts me in a good mood, so when I need cheering up, I know I can listen to her music.

She’s really talented, and I really would like to see another album from her.  One can only hope.

I can’t think of anything else to add, other than I’m glad I stumbled across her music.  I suppose it’s time to get listening to some more music!

The Year Of Self-Love

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I settled on a word, and it is self-love.  I had some trouble coming up with a list of words, and then I remembered that I had bookmarked this link.  Granted, it’s a few years old, but it had a long list of words that I borrowed from.

It was hard to narrow it down to one, but the nice thing about self-love is that it does encompass a lot of the other words I liked.

The whole idea of self-love has really clicked over the last week or so, and it will definitely be a priority this year.  It’s sad that it wasn’t, and isn’t, but right now, the need to work on the self-love is very strong.  I really liked this one post from The Lettered Cottage that talks about the blogger’s word of the year.

So what does self-love mean to me?

For one thing, taking care of myself physically and emotionally.  Eating well and exercising.  Not being so hard on myself.

Accepting that I don’t need to be perfect, that it’s okay to have faults.  Accepting that it’s okay to mess up every once in a while, and that mistakes don’t mean I’m a failure at life.  That it’s okay to take care of myself.  Letting go of fear and indecision.

Okay, so, this post makes me want to cry.  It’s very hard for me to even think about this, and writing it down…makes it very real.  I think a resolution word will be a good thing, because I can make it as specific or as broad as I want.  Specific enough so that I’m not winging it, but broad enough to give me some wiggle-room.

I will be sharing my progress at least once every 1-2 weeks, so we’re going to be getting a lot more personal over the next year!

Ella Fitzgerald

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After listening to the most recent episode of The History Chicks, I decided I needed to listen to Ella Fitzgerald.  I’ve heard of her before this, but had only heard A-Tisket, A-Tasket.  Which I have.

So on Friday, I went to the library to see if they had anything.  I was in luck, since they had 1 CD, called Pure Ella.  A quick search of the library catalog proved somewhat useful, in that they have quite a few of her cd’s.

Her life story is pretty interesting, but not only that, I found I love her music.  I instantly felt calm and relaxed when I was listening to Pure Ella, and I’m impressed with how amazing she sounds!  I really can’t wait until those cd’s I requested are ready for pick-up because I can’t wait to hear some of her music.

I don’t know if I can pick a favorite out of the songs I’ve listened to but I really like They Can’t Take That Away From Me,  Love Is Here To Stay, Night and Day, and Misty.  Oh, and My Funny Valentine is a really good song too!  So far, I like her slower stuff as opposed to some of her more upbeat/faster songs, but I still like her all the same.

I can honestly say that I am now an Ella Fitzgerald fan, and I can’t believe I didn’t start listening to some of her other stuff until now!  She has a lot more music than I ever imagined, so it’ll be a while before I can listen to everything she has out there!  I definitely am glad I gave her the chance.

What To Do?

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It’s a week into December, and not writing everyday is still a little weird.  For all the thinking I’ve done about how much I wanted to work on old projects, I have yet to work on anything.  But since we’re only a week into December, there’s still the rest of the month to get writing. 

I’ve been thinking about inspiration the last couple days.  It can come from anywhere, and even when I’m not writing, I try to let my mind wander.  Listening to podcasts or a song, letting my mind wander while I’m crocheting, or reading a book can all provide inspiration.  

I guess this could possibly be a time of regrouping.  I know which projects I want to work on, but I do have a few projects that I’d like to work on at some point.  Like the roller derby novel and the historical fiction novel.  Maybe I’ll actually be able to decide on a plot and start planning it over the next year…after some reading of course!

I think I’ll try and get back into some sort of writing schedule.  What that is, I don’t know.  It might be everyday, it might be a couple days a week.  I think I’ll have to try different things and see what works. 

Perhaps I should crochet myself a really cool hat that can be my writer’s hat and get me into the writing mood!  Or something else, like a writing scarf.  Definitely something cool, that I only wear when I’m writing.  Perhaps that could lead to a plot bunny…

Thanksgiving

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Today is Thanksgiving, and last year I wrote about things I was thankful for in terms of writing.  This year, it will be a much more general list!

  • I know this is cliché this time of year, but I’m healthy and alive and stuff.  Especially if I keep my fingers out of sharp objects.  Good health is good!
  • Here’s another cliché know some pretty cool people, and I’m glad I know them! 
  • NaNo: as much as I am struggling this year, I have met some of the cool people above through NaNo.  I wrote a lot more this year than I have in the past few years, and it is because of NaNo last year. 
  • That I’ve discovered a love of baking, cooking, and crochet.  I’m learning how to crochet, and it was a little slow-going at first, but I’m getting the hang of it.  I love being all crafty and domestic! 

That’s all for now, since I need to go make some mashed potatoes and finish baking that apple pie.  Have a great thanksgiving and a great weekend!

Counting Down The Days

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This time last year, I was in love with writing and NaNo and writing all kinds of cool and funny stuff. 

This year is the complete opposite.  I want November to be over, because I don’t really have an interest in working on anything new.  It’s a weird feeling for me, because I always look foward to NaNo, and I hate that this year, I’m struggling to muster up some feeling and energy. 

As much as I love the roller derby idea, I think I might shelve until next year and do a rewrite.  Or write a little for each day, but spend most of my energy on something else. 

I definitely feel the need to work on a few of my “old” writing projects and I might, but I don’t think I’ll include them in my word count.  I feel like I shouldn’t include anything that’s from an old project, so I’m at a crossroad.  It is all on the honor system, and I want to honor the honor system and work on brand new things for NaNo!  Not work on old stuff because I don’t feel like writing anything new.   

I could always piece it together by writing random stuff, like I did back in July when my NCIS fanfic didn’t work out. 

Speaking of fanfiction, though, I am feeling the need to write something Harry Potter related, which crossed my mind over a week ago.  I should have gone with that…but I did start up a harry potter fanfic yesterday.  That’s the most inspired I’ve been all month but I have no clue what it’s about, other than Hermione and Seamus live in the same apartment building, she’s not dating Ron and doesn’t really talk to Harry and the Weasley’s, except for George.  This should be interesting, and it couldn’t be any more vague.   

Since I have a few different novels now, I think I’m just going to do a general update on everything, and maybe mention individual projects that I’m working on. 

My grand total for the month is 32,782 words, so I’m still off pace, but I’m also feeling confident I can catch up.  Words will come, they always do!  I suppose that’s it for today, so I should get some writing done.