October wrap-up// + my birthday, books and NaNoWriMo!!

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Welcome back to my itsy-bitsy corner of the web!  Today’s post is going to be all about how my October went! Let’s get started! Also sorry about this being late!!

October is actually my favorite month! The trees are filled with beautiful colors, the air is fresh and the scents and foods are just amazing!

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So October 27 was my birthday! I turned 14 and had a great day! My parents took me out by myself, and we went to this amazing taco restaurant. Then we went to this wacky candy store that had this really cool vintage aesthetic. It was really fun being the only child for the day because since I am the oldest and have three younger siblings, my parents don’t always have the time to focus on me and only me. So it was a great way to spend my birthday without my little siblings causing any trouble. I was still able to spend some time with my siblings once I got home, and my grandma was visiting so it was great!

But the best part was that one of my gifts from my parents was TICKETS TO SEE ANASTASIA!! If you haven’t heard from any of my other posts, I am a huge fan of musical theatre! I am super obsessed and about 89 percent of the things that come out of my mouth are references to musicals. Anastasia was my favorite childhood movie. I have always loved the vivid scenes and beautiful songs. SO I was thrilled to see that it had become a Broadway musical! I am so thankful that my parents bought me tickets to see it! The cast recording sounds amazing, and I am certain that seeing it live on stage will be wonderful.

I think I am seeing it in early February. It feels like a long time, but watching how fast the months have been going by, I don’t think it will be too long of a wait!

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(like my new spacer thingy?)

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I didn’t read as many books as I would have liked to, but I still think I read some good ones!

Caraval (Caraval, #1) Verify (Verify #1) Opposite of Always Romanov

I also read various graphic novels and some animes!!

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I am really excited about Marissa Meyers’s book that just came out! Its the final book in the renegade’s trilogy and I cannot wait to read it!!

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sanders sides

Sanders Sides is a funny youtube series, that follows Thomas and his wacky personality as they solve every-day problems! My favorite character is Anxiety!

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song-writing

Recently I have gotten really into writing songs. It’s really calming for me and I feel like I am reaching a whole new creative space. I also feel like it’s my way of communicating with God.

drawing

After a bit of procrastination and saving, I finally bought these brush tip markers. They work really well and they have really helped me get back into art. Maybe I’ll do a sketchbook tour or an art dump sometime soon!

graphic novels/ comics

I usually don’t read too many graphic novels or comics, but recently I have and I love how quick they are to read. I also love beautiful art and different art styles, it really inspires me to draw. There’s a really good series called Nutmeg that features these two girls who go on baking adventures!

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And now it’s time for some NaNo excerpts!!

SO I’m really behind because I literally got grounded from NaNo (thanks to my tongue that really needs to control itself more) But, I am still enjoying it a lot! MY favorite character that I am writing is Leo, who is a pirate who loves singing with his birds and is a huge hopeless romantic! He rescues orphaned kids and trains them to become friendly pirates like him. Although Leo likes to refrain from bloodshed, he sometimes has to get a bit rough with other pirates. AT first, I was going to make him really tuff and stuff but I failed so now he’s just a soft boy xD

Leo went off to feed his birds. He loved his birds. They had beautiful wings and sung such sweet melodies.

“Good Morning Sunshine’s!” He sang the birds tweeted in response which brought a bright smile to his face.

He let out a soft sigh and walked over to his cabin. He opened the door and walked in, flopping onto his bed. He usually helped the kids clean, but he felt pretty exhausted, considering he had been sailing the ship all night. Although he was surrounded by his kids and his lovely birds, he often felt lonely. He knew it was probably because of all the romance novels he read, but he thought it would be quite lovely to have a wife- or someone to love him. It felt as if no one loved him. He sighed softly as he glanced out his small circle window. Sometimes he couldn’t believe he was a pirate. He acted more like a princess. Singing to birds? Dancing while cleaning? No wonder his father never liked him. He was too happy…? He sighed as he gazed out the window, watching the fluffy white clouds float through the air. 

I LOVE HIM AAAAAAAH!!

I also enjoy the other characters I’m writing, but Leo’s my favorite so far!

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Did you have a good October? I sure did! What was your favorite thing you read or did last month? Are you excited for November? What are you writing about for NaNo? How is it going so far? 

keep smiling,

ava!!

 

 

hello October!! ft. recent reads, latest obsessions, and goals!

I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers!

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Welcome to my itsy-bitsy corner of the web! Today’s post is all about what I did in September and my goals for October! Let’s get started!!

✰recent reads!!

I was able to read quite a few books last month that I had wanted to read for a while!! Here are some of my favorites!!

Caraval by Stephanie Garber Caraval: this book is so STUNNING!! I had it on my TBR list for a long time and once I got it I kind of procrastinated reading it, but then I opened it and just read it. I fell in love with the characters and the world-building and I couldn’t put the book down! I really recommend this for anyone looking for a fresh and exciting read!

Pumpkinheads Pumpkin Heads: This book is so so adorable!! the art is so gorgeous and the plot is ridiculously cute!! It really got me into the fall mood. I love the POC rec and the cute characters and everything! I really recommend this! like just read it while sipping apple cider!

#famous #Famous: I loved this book! The plot was cutely unique and the characters were really funny! I recommend this for anyone whos looking for a sweet romance!!

How We Roll How We Roll: This book was really cute and tackled a lesser-known illness in an amazing way! I really enjoyed this book.

Verify by Joelle CharbonneauVerify: This book was an awesome retelling of 1984 and Fahrenheit 451! It was page-turning and hard to put down and I really enjoyed it!!

some other books I read that I enjoyed were: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the universe, Vow of Thieves and The tea dragon festival!!

✰latest obsessions!!

warning: these are mostly going to be musicals because im obsessed with them.

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Hadestown is an amazing retelling of the Greek Myths of Persephone and Hades and the Myth of Orpheus and Euridice. Its set in Americas 1920s/30s and has great songs and awesome costumes! I love it so much!!

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Six is a fun and unique musical about Henry the 8ths wives! The songs are catchy and the whole musical is really cute and screams girl power! I love it so much!!

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Anastasia is based on an animated movie about a historical Russian princess. Anastasia has always been one of my favorite movies, so I adore the musical version of it, the songs bring back so much nostalgia and its playing at my local theatre and I really hope I can see it!!

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I recently have gotten a little obsessed with marvel (thanks to tom holland) There movies are pretty cool and their characters have complex personalities and cool powers.

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playing the ukelele:

I’ve had a ukelele for a while but a few months ago I finally learned how to actually play it. Now I have been writing my own songs and using it to do worship with my Youth Group. After I fully master it, I hope to learn how to play guitar!

✰october goals!!

✰ blog more consistently

✰ practice singing

✰prep for NaNoWriMo

✰ stay positive

✰ exercise more

✰ volunteer at the library

✰ go apple picking

✰ read in a forest

✰read more nonfiction

✰recap!!

September was a great season! I hope October is even better, I can’t wait for my birthday which is on the twenty-seventh!

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What did you read/ do in September? Do you like musicals? What is something you like to do to get ready for fall?

✰ keep smiling, ava!!

 

 

July recap// books, goals and me wondering how its already almost the end of summer

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So I just realized that it’s August 6th and I am kind of freaking out.

I feel like summer just started and now its already about to end. And guys, This is the last summer of the 2010s next summer will be a roaring 20s summer. Isn’t that crazy?

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Anyways, it’s a new month and you know what that means! A monthly recap!

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Books I read last month

If your one of my regular readers then you may be aware that I am obsessed with books! I read quite a lot of great books this month! Here they are!!

I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn . To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka  Mya's Strategy to Save the World by Tanya Lloyd Kyi Braced by Alyson Gerber Ordinary Girls by Blair Thornburgh Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh

My favorite books I read out of all of these is probably I love you so Mochi. Its a cute and unique book and I loved it! Totally would reread if I didn’t have so many books on my TBR list!

Speaking of TBR list, here are some books I hope I have the time to read this month:

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, #1)  Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) The Boy Who Steals Houses The Downstairs Girl  I Wanna Be Where You Are 

 goals

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i love these so much omg!

study french

☆read ten books (i need to stop reading so many books in one month)

☆ get more consistent with blogging

☆create a new insta feed

☆go back to book club (i miss ittt)

☆prepare for more school work ( in the summer we do less school work)

☆see a musical 

☆stop obsessing over tom holland ( partially done)

☆work on finishing my book

recent obsessions

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☆ Kermit memes 

☆ marvel

☆ hadestown the musical ( ITS REALLY GOOD OMG)

☆ vans ( I ACTUALLY JUST GOT SOME)

☆ books

☆ denim jackets

☆ saying the word yeet

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July was an awesome month, I can’t wait to see all the great things I can accomplish this month! What are your goals for august? What things are you looking forward to?
Thanks for reading today’s post and have a great day!
keep smiling, ava (1)

 

 

 

 

 

5 easy ways to boost productivity! + free to-do list printable

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Welcome back to my itsy bitsy corner of the web! Or if your new here, thanks for checking out my blog. You can find more about me here!

Today’s post is all about how to boost productivity and get more done in less time.

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1. Set a Timer

Estimate the time you need to tackle different tasks and set a timer for each of your tasks. When it comes to the time limit, move on to another task.

2. Eliminate All Distractions

I recommend putting your phone on airplane mode or turning off your notifications. If you’re using a computer to work on a project close out all the other applications. Try to go to a quiet place or alert the people around you to not bother you.

3. Listen to Music

Distractions should be avoided, but sometimes a bit of music in the background can help you focus.

Of course, it doesn’t need to be the Hamilton cast recording on full blast, but a bit of Beethoven may do you some good. If you’re not a fan of classical music, there are plenty of relaxing, lofi study playlists on youtube. The songs are really nice and it does help you focus.

4. Take a break from technology

The Internet has become one of the number one distraction. To increase your productivity, try to do as much of your work offline as possible.

I find it easier to brainstorm with pen and paper than on a notes app, because not only is it relaxing, it’s easier to stay focused on.

5. Just Start

Often times, starting is the hardest part. People often wait for the perfect time to start a project, but usually, there is no perfect time, and they are really just procrastinating and they never start.

Once you get started, you will quickly get into a rhythm that could last for hours!

The last thing I have for you guys is a little printable to-do list/ planner. This is great for jotting down things to do and planning your day out.

Get it done girl!click here to download!

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Thanks for reading this post, I hope the tips helped! What are some ways you stay productive? What projects are you working on? How do you manage your time?

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summer bucket list 2019

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Welcome back to my itsy-bitsy corner of the web! Summer is coming! And I am so excited! In today’s post, I am going to be sharing my Summer Bucket list!

Let’s get started!

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grow my audience: I want to grow my audience more and stay more consistent on my blog and my socials

☆Make summer themed lifestyle posts: I want to make more summer lifestyle posts. If you have any ideas, comment down below!

Host blogging activity: I have always wanted to do this! Hopefully this summer I can 😀

☆ Start my blog design business! (I’m starting it sometime in June)

☆ Start Youtube Channel: I have always wanted to do this, Hopefully, it will be live sometime in August!

☆ Post three times a week: I want to make my blog exciting and have new posts more frequently

☆ Post more photography: A lot of people like my photography, so I am going to try to post more of it.

summer goals reading

☆ Read Less: I actually want to read less this summer. Last summer I read 50 books, but this summer I only want to read 25. I want to spend more time outside and with my friends and family, instead of chilling in my room and spending the whole day reading.

☆Read more nonfiction: I read way too much fiction. Fiction is amazing, but I also want to develop more skills this summer and learn more. So I am going to try to read at least 10 nonfiction books.

☆Get ahead of my TBR list: There are so many books that I haven’t read that I really want to read. This summer I want to read some of those books.

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☆ Draft the rest of my novel: I wrote a bit of my novel during Camp Nano and I really want to finish it. I love the story so much and I hope that it can become published. I plan to work on it a little bit this summer.

☆ Write every day: I started a diary a while back and I want to finish it and start writing every day again.

☆ Write more poetry: I love writing poetry, but I haven’t really had a lot of time for it. I want to work on it this summer.

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☆ Study More: In the fall I am going into high school and I want to make sure that I study during the summer so I won’t forget everything I learned before.

☆ Practice Math: Math is not my best friend, so I want to do some math warm-ups every day.

☆Sign up for college classes: I got accepted into two colleges’ College Credit Plus program, so I want to spend some time picking out the classes I want to take in fall.

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☆ Get my nails painted: I got a nail salon certificate for Christmas and thought it would be perfect to use in the summer. I’m thinking about painting them yellow, or white.

☆ Take some morning runs: I want to start running every morning, and exercising a bit more.

☆ Make some money: I am saving up for a Mac, and new camera and an Ipad Pro. I want to start some buisness and make some money during the summer to go towards my savings and so I can have some extra cash.

☆ Volunteer: I really want to volunteer at the library or the animal shelter. I think it will be a fun way to help support organizations I love.

☆ Spend more time with friends: I have a lot of great friends, but sometimes I don’t always get to spend time with them, because of everyone’s schedules. I hope to spend more time with them and develop deeper friendships with them

☆ Go thrifting: I have found some really cute clothes and local thrift shops and I hope to go there again with one of my friends that are obsessed with vintage clothing.

☆ Learn More French: I love french, and I want to really take some time to learn it.

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☆Practice more piano: I love the piano, and now that I am a worship leader in my youth group, I want to be the best pianist I can be.

☆Practice Clarinet: I love clarinet and I want to practice it so I can do well when I go into the intermediate group.

☆ Write songs: I love singing and songwriting and I really want to write a song.

☆ Use my uke: I don’t always use my ukelele and I want to use it more this summer.

☆ Learn some French songs: I think this will be a fun way to practice French.

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☆ Go to the movies: A lot of great movies are coming out and it would be really fun to go to the movie theatre to see them.

☆ See a musical: I love musicals and I would love to see one!

☆Go to the beach or swimming: I would really love to go to the pool or the beach.

☆ Go to the funfest: Our city has a fun festival every summer and I would love to go with one of my friends.

☆ Get boba tea: I love Boba and I really would love to get some.

I hope you all enjoyed my Summer Bucket List! I hope this post inspires you to have a fun summer!

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What’s on your summer bucket list?

What movies are you excited about?

Do you want to have a retro summer like me?

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