For months, my wonderful friend Abby over at Ups and Downs hinted about a big project she had coming out on August 1st. I was counting the days until she finally revealed it- a tag combining the blogger world and the "real" world. In being a blogger, you develop friendships with people all over the country- and sometimes even the world. While it isn't exactly an easy task to go and visit a friend on the other side of the country, we can't help but dream of what it would be like to have a giant blogger party. And thus, this fantastic tag was born. After all- who doesn't love party planning?

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Name the venue!

The majority of my closest blogger friends live on the East Coast, with the exception of a few West Coasters, so we would probably just have to fly the few West Coasters out over here for the best chances of maximum attendance. I don't really have a specific place in mind, although I think that it would be really fun to rent one of those massive beach houses together. A blogger beach trip would be the definition of epic. Although at the same time, we would need to be somewhere with copious amounts of coffee shops and photo ops, so it might be best to go to a city- if we're staying in the south, Atlanta or Nashville would be good choices, or we could venture to one of the big cities up north, like New York City.

List three foods that need to be present

The obvious first choice is a breakfast bar. Waffles would obviously play a large role, along with pancakes as well, because we do love our pancake girls, even if we live in opposition on the topic of breakfast food. ;)

Pizza would also be a necessity. Many bloggers that I know are quite passionate about pizza, so it would definitely have to be on the menu.

Lastly, we would need coffee shop food. Yes, I'm stretching the "three foods" question, but this is important. If we're having a blogger party, we need copious amounts of coffee and tea, along with plenty of pastries and sandwiches. It's just a nonnegotiable.

Dance time! List five artists or bands for your party mix tape

-Ben Rector. Most bloggers that I know are big Ben Rector fans, so his music would definitely need to be involved.

-Twenty-One Pilots. Again, a common blogger favorite.

-Ed Sheeran. Because...Ed Sheeran.

-Epic soundtracks of every form.

-Aaliyah, Jacy Rayn, and Abbie. Let's be honest guys, WE'RE SURROUNDED BY FABULOUSLY TALENTED PEOPLE. I can just see Aaliyah and Jacy Rayn whipping out guitars and ukuleles, and Abbie sitting behind a piano, and the three of them leading us in the best indie-worship set of all time. It would be so fantastic.

What three activities would we mostly engage in?

I mean, obviously most of the time would be spent talking and freaking out over the fact that OH MY GOSH WE'RE ALL IN THE SAME ROOM. It would be the most exciting thing ever, and most of us would just be talking talking talking.

Photography would also be a large part of the event because..hello, we're bloggers. Everyone would be carrying their camera or phone, snapping photos CONSTANTLY. After the party was over, the rest of the blogosphere would probably hate us due to the overload of photos from the event, and we wouldn't even care.

I also think that would also be super fun to make mailboxes for everyone, and leave notes and such for each other throughout the event. Most bloggers that I know love all forms of stationary, notes, and snail mail, so I think that it would be really fun and sweet activity to have going on throughout the event. Plus, afterwards, everyone would have a box of memories to take home!

Describe a post collaborative you would do at the party.

Everyone would definitely be making mad plans to collaborate with everyone else. Everyone is so creative that I don't know what they'd come up with! Olivia and I have actually talked about this before, though (in our conversations dreaming about hanging out one day), so I know what she and I would be doing- The First Impression Project. Have you ever wondered what other people's first impression of you is? Olivia and I would be going around, talking to people, and then writing about them. It's really rather lovely.

What habits or interaction qualities would you notice?

At the beginning I'm sure it would be slightly awkward, because the majority of us are introverts and have never met before, but after the initial ice breaking, I think that it would be so much fun. Introverts would break out of their shells a bit, and we would all have the best time.

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because this is the cutest tag image ever

In typical tag fashion, I now have to tag people! So, I tag-

ABBIE || AALIYAH || RACHEL || OLIVIA || MARY SHELLEY

And, of course, YOU! I want to hear all about your dream blogger party!

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So, tell me, what would your dream blogger party be like? Are you going to take part in the tag? YOU TOTALLY SHOULD! Let's chat in the comments!

TAG! YOU'RE IT!!!

......Whew.

I feel like I just made it to the surface of the deep end of the pool. Like I'm finally getting a breath of air. Ever since we got back from our trip, life has been utter insanity. School. School. School. Catching up on blogs. Beta reading. Theatre. Friends. LIFE.

But I finally feel as though I'm getting a hold on things again, and I actually have time to blog again. I've missed it so much, oh my goodness. I've missed YOU guys. I'm so happy to be back. : )

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So, apparently while I was gone, I got tagged...a lot? This is kind of a tag overload, so watch for your name because YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO GET TAGGED AT SOME POINT. I'm really excited to fill all of these out though- I love tags. ♥ I kind of think that I'm still missing a tag, so if you tagged me for something and I don't complete it here, I forgot about it. I tried to write them all down, but I could have missed something along the way. I apologize!!!

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T H E   L I E B S T E R  A W A R D

I was tagged for the Liebster Award by the LOVELY Julia over at the Barefoot Gal, so thank you, Julia! She didn't include the rules in her post, sooooo.... I'm not going to either. Because honestly I just don't want to hunt them down, and I'm pretty sure at this point, we all know how the Liebster Award works. 

(Also I have to say, Julia, your questions were cracking me up. You're the queen of this.)

1. If someone handed you a puppy, what would you do? 

I would probably cry happy tears. And that person would then become my best friend for life.

2. Would you rather camp in a tent with nothing for a month, or be snowed in a log cabin with everything for 4 months?

Um, is that even a question? Log cabin, all the way. I wouldn't have to socialize, I'd have chocolate and wifi and books- what else do you need? 

3. Your most used word? (i.e. dude. yo. bro. huh. uh. whatevs)

As white girl as this sounds, probably "like". My little sister says either "ugh" or "aesthetic". So if you want to know my personality, those three words basically sum it up.

4. If you HAD to move and got to choose the place, where would you go?

Urg..ten minutes from where I live now?? I know that's not what you're looking for but that's my answer haha. If it HAD to be further away, the beach. 

5. Are you involved in any Instagram group chats? If so, include a short and utterly goofy snippet.

Hahahaha I LOVE this question! Yes, I am involved in several group chats. Let's see...

I actually can't seem to find any screenshots right off, which is super annoying because I know I've taken screenshots. I guess I'll just have to include a quote from our aesthetic baegels group chat- I'll let you guess who it was;) (sidenote: THAT COULD BE A GAME. GUESS THE BAEGEL XD) "Princess and the Frog had me about to sell my birthright for one of those man catchin beignets"

(The amount of Disney conversations we have is kind of hilarious..)

6. Would you rather have poison ivy or chicken pox?

Hmm. Probably poison ivy, because I HATE being sick. Hate it. Like, more than anything in life. I guess it would depend on where the poison ivy was. Like, if it was just on my arm or leg or something that might not be as bad but if it somehow got on my face, that would be horrendous. 

7. What do you do when you're nervous?

Haha, I have so many little nervous habits. (I'm also easily nervous so that's probably why.) It kind of depends on how nervous I am. A lot of times when I know I'm going to be in a nerve-wracking situation, I wear a ring, so I have something to fiddle with. I actually have a friend who gets concerned about me when she sees me wearing a ring, haha. If I don't have a ring, I just kind of fiddle with my hands, and I clench them a lot. And then, if I'm horrifically nervous/panicky, I pace. A lot. XD

8. Do you write poetry? If you do, include a poem. 

I DO write poetry! Buuuuut...I'm not going to include a poem. Sorry, Julia! I actually wrote one the other night, though, and I'm thinking about posting it. So you might see something, soon. ;)

(p.s. I DID post a poem on Kate's blog recently, if you missed it and really want to see some poetry. Check out some of her stuff while you're there- her poetry is 11387438719 times better than mine, haha!)

9. Can you remember passwords?

Usually, yes! I have about a million so occasionally I have a blonde moment but overall I'm pretty good with passwords.

10. What are you looking forward to right now?

Starting Music Man rehearsals, getting back to writing my novel, and a swing dance that's coming up.  ♥

I'm going to re-use Julia's questions, because I absolutely love them, and this post is going to be long enough as it is, haha. I tag- Jacy, Ashlyn, Alexandria, Sara, and Morning. And if you like these questions, then please, take part in the tag, too!! Answer them in the comments if you want- I just want to hear your answers!

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S M A L L   I S   B E A U T I F U L

This tag was created by the lovely Serena over at Poetree, and I'm super excited to be a part of it! It's a super sweet tag. ♥

Guidelines:

1// Feature 3-5 blogs with fewer than 100 followers.
2// Write 1-3 paragraphs about each blog, including information like what the blog is about, a brief bio of the blogger, and/or why you recommend their blog. Don't forget a link to their blog!
3// Include an image for each blog, whether it's a blog button, profile photo, header, or simply a screenshot of the blog.
4// Thank the blogger who featured you, and include a link to their blog. If you like, you can even include them as one of the blogs that you feature (especially if they joined the tag without having been featured by someone else).
5// Include the tag image somewhere in your post.
Optional: For extra visibility, share a link to your post on Twitter with #SmallBlogsTag. I'll retweet it! Don't forget to follow the hashtag and retweet others' links!

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SERENA || POETREE

Serena is a dreamer, poet, and book enthusiast. Her photography is gorgeous, and I love her Wordless Wednesday posts! Her book reviews are wonderful, and I always enjoy reading her posts. : ) 

JACY || LOUD AND CLEAR

Jacy's blog is gorgeous. I'm constantly just left in awe by how incredible her writing is. She's super relatable and sweet, and YOU NEED TO CHECK HER OUT RIGHT NOW.

BURNING YOUTH

Burning Youth is a brilliant blog collaborative full of poetry and beauty and truth. These girls constantly blow my mind- they're stars.

HANNAH || GRACE IN EVERYTHING

Hannah is basically my mental twin, with about 10x the grace and class and wisdom. She's amazing, guys. Her blog is full of so much truth and happiness and GRACE. I love her so much ♥

RACHEL || SILVER MESS

Rachel is singlehandedly one of the most creative people that I've ever met. She is a true artist in every sense of the word. She's a writer, a photographer, even a singer!! (CHECK OUT HER SONG)

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GO CHECK THESE AMAZING SITES OUT! They're phenomenal. ♥

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ONE MORE TAG!!

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T H E   L I E B S T E R  A W A R D

That's right, I was ALSO tagged by Clara for the Liebster Award! Thank you so much, Clara! I'm excited. ♥

1. What color is your toothbrush?

White!

2. When I dance I look like...?

I mean, I'd hope I look okay since I've been dancing for ages, but to be honest I probably look like a dying whale most of the time. 

3. If you were to be famous, what would you be famous for?

I'd WANT to be a famous author, but currently I'd probably be famous for doing something really dumb haha. XD

4. If you were running for president, what would your campaign slogan be?

"I'M A BETTER OPTION THAN THE OTHER GUYS!"

5. Do bald men wash their head with soap or shampoo?

Um...seeing as I'm a teenage girl...no idea.

6. If you were to take a selfie with a celebrity, which celebrity would it be and why?

As in, who would I WANT it to be? Julie Andrews. Because, Julie Andrews.

7. If you were an Olympic athlete, which sport would you compete in?

Probably gymnastics. It's the only one I can really see myself doing. That, or maybe beach volleyball.

8. Ask Siri to tell you a story. What did she tell you?

Well, I'm currently surrounded by my family and don't want to have to explain why I'm randomly chatting with Siri, so I'm not going to do this one. XD

9. Would you rather be invisible or able to read minds?

I'VE LITERALLY DEBATED WITH MYSELF OVER THIS FOR YEARS. YEARSSS. See, whenever anyone's like, "If you could have a superpower, what would it be?" I always debate between those two. AND I'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DECIDE. Like, I want to know what other people are thinking and what other people think about me  so I've always wanted to be able to read their minds and know what's going on and stuff like that. But then if you were invisible you could listen to any conversation you wanted and like you could get into shows and concerts and travel and stuff like that for FREE. So I have no idea. It's a very stressful question for me. 

10. Take this Jane Austen quiz. Which heroine are you? Share the description. 

I got Elizabeth Bennett. Here's my description- "You are as admirable as you are stubborn. Even in the face of great adversity, you never comprise your morals and you firmly believe in marrying for love rather than for security. At times, you can be quite difficult to please, but that's simply because you're a richly complex and intelligent person. Plus, your sense of humor is positively delightful as are your dancing skills." 

(Also apparently Morning got Lizzy as well and this is further proof that we're twins.)

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I'm going to use Clara's questions, and I tag- Opal, Aaliyah, Olivia, Abby M, and Mary Shelley! Again, if you like this tag, DO IT!! I dare you. ; )

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So, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE TAGS?? Are YOU going to do one? (hint- you should) What have you been up to lately? Let's chat!!

The Wisteria Writer Tag!

If you know me, then you obviously know one thing- I LOVE to talk about writing. So when this tag started to float around the blogosphere, obviously I was super excited. I ended up getting tagged for it THREE times, so I have quite a few questions to answer. In hopes of keeping this post from being ten million years long, I'll just go ahead and get into it!

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- R U L E S-

01. Thank the blogger who nominated you

02. Answer the ten questions

03. Write ten questions of your own

04. Nominate ten other people for the tag!

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Thank you so much to Megan, Vanessa, and Julia! Y'all are the best. ♥

Megan's Questions-

// Are you writing anything at the moment? If so, what?
I'm currently working on a novel, dabbling in poetry, attempting to journal, and obviously writing as many blog posts as my brain is able to handle. 

// What genre of writing do you like best?

Probably contemporary, because it's the one I find easiest.

//When did you start writing?
The first story that I can remember writing was in first grade. My friends and I took paper outside during recess and worked on it. I still have it! I also have always written journal/diary type entries, even from when I was five or six. They're really funny to look back on now! 

// Do you prefer writing on pen and paper or digitally?

If I have tons of time and patience, and it's poetry or a journal entry, pen and paper. If it's for my novel, digitally is the only way I can do it. Although occasionally I pop out a blog post that I first wrote on pen and paper. Ironically those have been some of my favorite posts. 

//What is your favorite thing about writing?
I think my favorite thing about writing is the fact that it's mine. I can say whatever I want. Writing is really freeing. I also believe that words have so much power- they're such a beautiful way to reach people. 

//What is your least favorite thing about writing?
Stressing out over people reading it, EDITING, plotting, writer's block, and those days where you feel like it takes YEARS to write a silly little paragraph. I love writing, but gosh it's frustrating sometimes. 

//What is your favorite thing to write? (novels, poetry, short stories, etc.)

It literally depends on my mood. Poetry is the easiest for me to write, followed by short stories and then novels, but novels are my favorite thing to look back on. I just get stressed out with novels, because I want them to be perfect, and I end up driving myself nuts in the process.

//When do you write best?

It honestly just depends on my mood. A lot of times I think that I write really well at night, but one time I had this fabulous writing session at like, six am. It's really more of a mental thing than a time thing. 

//Where do you like to write?
Anywhere quiet where I can be alone. If I'm writing with paper and pencil, then I love writing in my bedroom with the door shut and rain pounding on my window. If I'm working on my novel or anything else on my laptop, either in my dad's office when he's not using it or the rec room. 

//What (or who) inspires you the most when writing?
I mean, JK Rowling is always a pretty great inspiration, because she's basically the queen of writing. Katie Grace always inspires me with her epic word counts. Kate is always ultimate writing inspiration. (I'm noticing a Kate/Katie theme here. Does this mean I should change my name?) And I mean, who wouldn't want to write like they're running out of time, just like Hamilton? ; )

Vanessa's Questions-

//If you could have any writing power what would it be?
The ability to write really quickly. So basically I just want to be Katie Grace.

//How do you plot your books?
I tend to start out with a general concept, and first flesh out the characters. I enjoy thinking about the characters more than the plot, so spending time on the characters really gets me into it. Once I feel like I understand my characters, I write a really general outline of the whole book, and then slowly break it down chapter by chapter, scene by scene. I hate plotting, but I don't write as well without it. *sigh*  It's frustrating.

//What is the most frustrating thing that has happened to you while writing?
I don't know of a specific instance, but I tend to just get super frustrated whenever I can't get the story to go where I want it to. I obsess over minor details (shocker), so when I feel like it's not going the way that I had it in my mind, I get super frustrated. 


//What's your favorite snack to have while writing?
I usually don't eat while I'm writing because I would get distracted by the amazingness that is snack food. But when I do eat while I write, I typically like to just eat something unhealthy while I work as therapy. in other words chocolate.  But occasionally if I want to feel like a productive member of society I'll do something like nuts or sunflower seeds.

//Which word would you say you write too often?
I catch myself using the word "just" a lot. I'll also use the same motion over and over, like saying that the character shrugged three times in a paragraph. Why Grace Anne? Just why?

//Where do you get your writing inspiration?
Books. Everything I read inspires me in some way- either with something I want to do in my own writing, or something that I DON'T want to do. 

//Longest amount of time you have written for?
I actually don't know. Maybe five hours? I'm not really one to sit down and just write and write and write for hours on end- I take a ten minute break and come back to it. I've never timed myself though, so that's just a guess. I should try for a really long writing session sometime. 

//Most loved blog post?
Ooh, that's a hard one. 99 Things I Learned From Sophomore Year was definitely one of my favorites. 

//Tips for new book writers?
Find out what works for you, and go with it. Everyone has their own method- you don't have to do everything the same way that someone else does it. Learn how you work best. Also, don't get discouraged comparing your writing to someone else's- just focus on making your own writing better. 

//Favorite season to write about?
I feel like a lot of my stories take place during autumn, which is kind of odd because I'm not a huge fan of fall, as you all know. I don't really know why I do that.


Julia's Questions-

//Do you ever absolutely hate writing?
I don't think that I ever absolutely hate writing, no. There are times that I get horribly frustrated by it and SAY that I hate it, but deep down I don't think I could ever actually hate it.

//Have you done Camp Nano and/or NanoWriMo?
I have not! I would absolutely LOVE to do it at some point, but I feel like I wouldn't have the time. November and July are just both so hectic. I don't know. I'll bite the bullet eventually, I'm sure.

//Format as you write or leave that until last?
As I write. Otherwise I just get super frustrated and OCD, and I can't concentrate.

//Have you ever lost a major amount of a WIP? And what would you do if you did?? *cries for you*
I have not. Praying that this doesn't jinx that. XD If I did, I would probably just cry, to be honest. And then I'd probably get super frustrated and not write for ages. So we're going to hope that DOESN'T happen.

//Night Owl or Early Bird writer?
98% of the time, night owl. If I'm lucky enough to have a morning where my brain is actually functioning, I can be an early bird writer, but more often than not it's better for me to save writing for a later hour.

//What inspired your current WIP?
There wasn't really one thing. It was kind of a mixture of ten different things I read or saw on Pinterest.

//What's your highest word count in a book so far?
Oh gosh, I actually have no idea. I haven't kept track!

//Short stories or no?
Sometimes! I have written several short stories. I'd like to get back into writing them, actually. I wrote a ton of short stories when I was younger, but in the past few years it's been more novel work and poetry. Maybe I'll write a short story sometime soon.

//Do you share your writing with friends or family?
Not for a while after I've written it. My mom and my sister have read the first ten chapters of my current WIP, but for the most part, I get really nervous and don't like to share my writing. I need to get over that, but it hasn't gone too well so far.

//Most embarrassing writing moment?
....I can't think of anything, to be honest. I mean, most of the time when I'm writing I'm hiding out alone with my laptop, so there aren't too many opportunities for something horribly embarrassing to happen. Looking back at all of the awful things that I wrote when I was younger is pretty embarrassing though, not going to lie. 
 

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My Questions:

Do you keep a journal?

What kind of music (if any) do you listen to while writing? 

Describe your favorite character that you've ever written.

How often do you write?
Worst thing that you've ever written?
Best thing that you've ever written?
What made you want to start writing?
Best writing advice you've ever heard?
Do you use Pinterest to plan your writing?
Is there a specific author that inspires you?

> > > > > > > > > >

I Nominate:

Katie Grace, Abby Rose, Abby M, Erin, Autumn, Kenzie, Ava, Olivia, Hannah R, and YOU!!          

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Are YOU going to do the tag? Tell me some writerly facts about yourself! Have you written a book before? What do you like you eat while you write? ISN'T PINTEREST A WRITING LIFESAVER? LET'S CHAT!

The Music Tag!!

Throwback to when I actually had time to do photography

Happy National Music Day!! My awesome blogger friend, Aaliyah, created an awesome music tag in honor of today, and I'm super excited to do it! So without further ado, let's get into the tag!

Rules:

1. Thank the person who tagged you and include a link to their blog (bc it's just the nice thing to do)

2. Answer the questions asked below

3. Tag 5+ bloggers and let them know

4. Add your own question to the end of the tag for your nominees to answer and answer it yourself (optional, but fun)

5. Include these rules in your post

Well, thanks for tagging me, Aaliyah!! Here we go! 

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1. Do you play any instruments?

Piano! I started when I was seven, and although I don't take lessons anymore (I just didn't have time!), I still like to play. I really want to learn to play guitar as well!

2. What is your favorite music genre?

I CAN'T JUST PICK ONE!!! I'd have to say that it's between acoustic-type music like Ed Sheeran or Broadway/soundtracks. Those are honestly pretty much all that I listen to, to be completely honest. xD

3. Is there a music genre you absolutely cannot stand?

Opera. I hate it with a fiery burning passion. 

4. What is your favorite way to listen to music? (CD, MP3, Vinyl, Radio, etc)

Um, every possible way? I tend to listen to most music on my phone or laptop, just because that's where I have all of my music, and I can pull up whatever I want to listen to on YouTube. I'm also a big fan of Pandora, which I have on my phone, so I use that a lot. I've always thought it would be cool to listen to music on vinyl, but I've never owned a player. And let's be real, one of the best ways to play music is blasting it while in the car. The best singalongs happen when in the car!!

5. Top three favorite bands/singers?

AALIYAH THIS IS HARD. Ed Sheeran, definitely. Shocker I know.  See I listen to a ton of musicals so I'm struggling. Okay okay I can't just pick three. Birdy, Jasmine Thompson, Jeremy Jordan, Journey, Laura Osnes. The casts of Wicked, Hamilton, Bonnie and Clyde, Newsies, Les Mis. SO MANY.  

6. What are your three favorite chords?

...I really don't know. I'm sorry, Aaliyah!

7. What is your favorite song because of what it means to you?

Oh my gosh, and here I thought that #5 was hard! In the genre of Christian music, either Oceans or This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham. I also adore Try by Colbie Caillat, and Lego House by Ed Sheeran is just my favorite song of all time, hands down. I feel like there are more, but I'm blanking at the moment. 

8. (My question!!) What is your current favorite song? 

Even my own questions are hard! I feel like all I do is ramble about musical theatre songs, so I'll pick something a little different- 7 Years, by Lukas Graham. :)

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My nominees:

Hannah @ Grace in Everything

Elissa @  Letters to Jayna

Elizabeth @ Whimsical Thoughts

Katie Grace @ A Writer's Faith

Evelyn @ Adventures of an Evelepagus

Leah @ Chasing Passion

Emily @ Destination Bliss

Abby @ Quills in the Inkwell

Aaaaand, YOU!! Please, do this tag!! If you do, let me know in the comments!!

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Thank you again for nominating me, Aaliyah! I hope you all enjoyed this! Now it's your turn! Either answer these questions, or answer them in the comments!

Team Pancake VS Team Waffle | A TAG!! | #TEAMWAFFLE

I'm super neutral on the topic..not.

You may not be aware of this. But the blogosphere is at war.

Yes, that's right. There's a war going on. So bunker down and get ready, because anything could happen at this point. It's dangerous out there, guys.

It all started with a tweet.

The battle then made its way to Instagram, and let me just tell you, it was beautiful. Only in the blogger world will you find people so passionate about a battle between pancakes and waffles. xD If you want to see the Instagram battle, you can see it here.

So then, the brilliant Rachel decided to make an official Team Pancake vs. Team Waffle Tag. Naturally, I had to take part!!

HOW CAN YOU LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS AND NOT BE ON TEAM WAFFLE??

To be clear, I'm obviously on Team Waffle. Don't get me wrong, pancakes are great. But WAFFLES!!!! In my opinion, they're easier to make than pancakes because with pancakes you have to worry about flipping them and making sure that they don't burn. With waffles, you just pour the mixture into the waffle maker and let it do its job. (Also I have a Mickey Mouse waffle maker which is kind of the best thing in the world.) There's also the issue of toppings. With waffles, you can put whipped cream or butter in all of the little boxes and it's perfect. Whipped cream or butter slip off of pancakes! Then you're just slightly depressed at your melted toppings all alone. It's a losing battle.

Anyways, on with the tag!!!

Rules:

1. Thank/link the person who tagged you. (b/c it's always great to be polite)
2. Answer the questions.
3. Tag 5 people. (b/c we want to spread the happiness!)
4. Include your favorite waffle/pancake recipe! (optional!)

Well, Rachel, thank you so much for tagging me! Rachel's super awesome, as is her blog. (Although she IS on Team Pancake. Sigh.)

Here are the questions!

1. Describe your ideal pancake/waffle in three words.
2. If you could eat pancakes/waffles with anyone in the world, living or dead, fictional or real, who would you want to eat with?
3. Top three condiments to put on your pancakes/waffles?
4. Describe why you think why pancakes/waffles are better than the other option.
5. If you could make your pancakes/waffles into any shape or size, how would you make them?

1. // Describe your ideal waffle in three words.

Light, chocolate-y, crispy

2. // If you could eat waffles with anyone in the world, living or dead, fictional or real, who would you want to eat with?

THERE ARE SO MANY OPTIONS HERE!!! Um. Personally I think it'd be pretty awesome to eat waffles with Julie Andrews. Not going to lie. I bet she's on #TeamWaffle.

3. // Top three condiments to put on your waffles?

WHIPPED CREAM, Chocolate chips (inside the waffle and sprinkled on top of the whipped cream), and butter.

4. // Describe why you think waffles are better than the other option.

As I explained above, waffles are easier to make. You can get them perfectly crispy so that they aren't mushy but they aren't overcooked either. My OCD self loves all of the little squares that can be filled with whipped cream or syrup or whatever you want. You can put awesome stuff in the batter like cinnamon or chocolate chips and it's wonderful.

5. // If you could make your waffles into any shape or size, how would you make them?

Hmm. Well, as you can see above, my waffle maker makes lovely large round waffles that split into four pieces, which I personally love. So then you can eat them a quarter at a time and it's all very neat and orderly. I'd be interested to see the world's biggest waffle. That would be pretty awesome.

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I would like to tag Hannah, Elizabeth, Elissa, Abby, and Autumn. And YOU!! I want to hear more opinions!!

As for a favorite recipe, I really don't know. I'm not too picky. Just give me some waffles!!!

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So tell me- are you #TeamPancake or #Team Waffle?? Let me know in the comments below! (I promise to still love you if you're on Team Pancake.)

The Text Tag!!

(Image creds to Ava)

Aaliyah over at Growing In His Image nominated me for The Text Tag! This looks like a lot of fun, I'm excited!!

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Guidelines:

i. Thank the person who nominated you and give a link to their blog

ii. Answer the original 6 text-themed questions

iii. Add a typography/word related question of your own for those you tagged to answer

iv. Tag 6+ bloggers and let them know

v. Include these rules in your post

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Questions:

i. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet? 

My favorite letter...I've never really thought about that! Hmm. Probably "A". I don't really have a favorite though, so it's kind of random. 

ii. What are three words that you love?

Lovely, graceful, and bibliophile. 

iii. What are three words that you hate?

Moist, nausea, and geometry.

iv. If you were to create a word, what would it be, and what would it describe?

I honestly have no idea. I feel pathetic. 

v. What are your three favorite punctuation marks?

; ! .

vi. What are three of your favorite fonts?

Any brush font, Didot, and Kaiti SC

vii. (Question from Ava) Do you prefer writing on paper or typing?

It totally depends on what I'm writing. If it's school related, then typing all the way. But if I'm writing a note/letter to a friend, or making a list, or doing general brainstorming, then I prefer to write on paper. Basically, if it's fun, then I prefer paper. ; )

viii. (Question from Aaliyah) What do words mean specifically to you? 

I have an absolute love affair with words. The fact that they can be strung together to create such beautiful works just fascinates me. I also much prefer the written word to talking, because I feel like I have the ability to be much more eloquent. Words are one of my favorite forms of self-expression; I don't know what I'd do without the ability to write. All this to say, I adore words. ♥

My question to the nominees: What is one word that means a lot to you? 

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My Nominees:

Hannah

Olivia

Leah

Emily

Evelyn

Abby M.

Abby B.

I also nominate YOU!!! If you do this tag, leave a link below in the comments and I'll check it out!

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What are YOUR thoughts on words? Do YOU have a favorite letter? What word would YOU like to create? 

Tag Time!!!

(Before I begin, I'm currently quite angry with my little sister because THE PRINCESS DIARIES WAS ON TV AND SHE CHANGED THE CHANNEL LIKE NO THAT IS ILLEGAL OKAY??? THERE ARE LAWS AGAINST THAT. SHE JUST BROKE GENOVIAN CODE.)

Rant over.

Hello, lovelies!!! How are you all doing? I am doing wonderfully, because I have been nominated for not one but TWO tags!!! I absolutely love tags, and I'm super excited to do these. : )

First off, I was nominated for the Infinity Dreams Tag by the oh so amazing Olivia from over at Summer of 1999.  She's super sweet and her blog is full of amazingly written posts and gorgeous photography so you should check it out like, right now. AND SHE COMES UP WITH REALLY HARD TAG QUESTIONS AGH OLIVIA YOU DID NOT MAKE THIS EASY FOR ME. HELP.

Okay. I can do this.

So for this tag, you're supposed to answer the eleven questions given, and give eleven facts about yourself. Olivia only gave me ten questions, so I'm going to answer those, and then I'm terrible at coming up with facts about myself (I'm quite boring), so I don't know if I'll come up with eleven or not..we'll see how it goes haha.

1. // What is your favorite meal? Hmm. Anything Italian, honestly. If it involves pasta, I will eat it. Red sauce and cheese don't hurt either. Or bread. You can tell that I'm really into healthy eating.

2. // Do you have bookshelves in your room? Um, is this even a question? OF COURSE I HAVE BOOKSHELVES IN MY ROOM!!! I've run out of space on them, too. But it's impossible to have too many books so I just need more shelves!

3. // What is something you like about yourself? Um. I was told by a friend that one of my best qualities is that I'm the only person she'd trust to help pick out her hair color, so I'm going with that hahaha!!! Love ya, S;)

4. // Sweaters or flannel? Hmm. Probably sweaters, although I do love gigantic flannels. But I just love big sweaters. Haha, yesterday I was getting ready to go to my co-op and I was like, "Mom!! Where's my big sweater?? I need something to wrap up in so that I can pretend I don't exist!!"

5. // Greeks or Romans? ...I honestly have no idea. *buries face in hands* I don't have much of a preference haha.

6. // Favorite book of the Bible and why? GOSH OLIVIA YOU'VE ASKED ME THIS BEFORE AND IT'S SUCH A HARD QUESTION AGH. Last time I believe that I said either Psalms or Proverbs, and I still absolutely love those. But gosh I love so many different books...Exodus, Ephesians, 1 Corinthians.... I CAN'T PICK!

7. // Name you would name your first boy and girl? So if I didn't already have enough reasons that I shouldn't have children (I just can't see it happening...I think I'd make an awful mom hahaha), this is another one. I am so indecisive, I don't know what I would name my kids! Let's see. This is so hard, oh my goodness. For a boy...I've got no idea...I'll just pick a girl name (sorry Olivia! Breaking all the rules over here..) For a girl, I would have to say.... probably Adele (No, not because of the singer haha).

8. // Best candle scent? Ooh...either cinnamon or vanilla. I love those scents so much.

9. // One sentence to describe your best friend? (I know it's hard- I don't care) You're right this is a horribly difficult question. I can't do this!!! One sentence??? Gahhhh. Okay. A: She is one of the most hilarious, crazy, wonderful people that I have ever met in my entire life, she's my favorite person to plot insanity with, I can tell her about literally everything, and I'm so glad that we can be crazy people and obsess over random stuff together. That was a crazy long sentence BUT IT WAS ONLY ONE SENTENCE SO I KEPT IN OLIVIA'S INSANE GUIDELINES.

10. // Spirit animal? I think this is the easiest question here. A cat, hands down.

Random Facts:

1. I cannot clean my room without music; I'll go insane.
2. I love making lists.
3. I've never watched Psych, but apparently that's going to change on Saturday.
4. The first time I tried to use VSCO to edit photos I was kind of terrified and couldn't figure it out to save my life.
5. I just ate a cupcake and it was absolutely glorious.
6. You can tell that I'm getting desperate for conversation when I'm talking about eating cupcakes.
7. I'm super awkward I apologize.
8. I always feel like my life is so much more put together when my hair is straightened.
9. I have a gigantic hoard of notebooks.
10. I'm now on the tenth fact and I can't come up with anything.
11. The person that is reading this right now is really cool and I hope that you have a lovely day.

My Questions:

1. Describe your best friend in one sentence. (Because yes I'm putting you through the same torture that Olivia put me through.)
2. How do you like to wear your hair?
3. What song lyrics describe your life?
4. Worst book that you've ever read?
5. How do you want to spend the rest of your life?
6. Best class that you've ever taken?
7. Who has most impacted your life?
8. What inspired you to start your blog?
9. Can you cook? What's your favorite recipe?
10. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
11. Favorite movie quote?

Nominees: Elissa @ Letters to Jayna // Abbiee @ Abbiee // Autumn @ Autumn's Readings and Writings // Hannah @ Grace in Everything //

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The second tag is the Liebster Award! I was nominated for this by the fabulous Leah over at Princess Leah! Leah is literally the best, she's super sweet and her blog always makes me so happy. SO YOU NEED TO CHECK HER OUT LIKE, RIGHT NOW!

For the Liebster, I get to answer another eleven questions, given to me by the fabulous Leah! So, let's get into it!

1. // Leather jacket or denim jacket? Probably a denim jacket.

2. // Do you have any stuffed animals in your room right now? Psh OF COURSE! I have SOOO many stuffed animals that it's not even funny. I cannot get rid of any of them it would be like disowning my child or something.

3. // Do you own/carry a pocket knife (or any knife really)? I have this little dagger thingy, but it kind of scares me because I am a blonde and blondes should not be given sharp objects.

4. // Favorite form of social media? Instagram!!! It's definitely my favorite. (I'm @totallygraced , you should check me out...shameless promo right there...)

5. // What is one thing that makes you livid!!!? ..Only one thing?? I mean I could rant forever but.... Okay, if I have to pick one thing, it would probably have to be people who think that they know everything about a certain topic or activity, but actually are equal with everyone else or fairly incompetent. People like that make me violent.

6. // What is one (or 10) of your weird habits or quirks? THERE ARE SO MANY I'M A STRANGE PERSON. But you all don't need to know any more of my weirdness than you already do so I'll just pick one. Apparently I have this weird habit of bouncing from foot to foot all the time, and tilting my head to the side a lot. I don't ever notice that I really do it but I've been told that it's a constant thing haha.

7. // What movie/show can you quote most lines from? Easy. The Princess Diaries. *glares at sister*

8. // Who/what are your favorite musicians/songs? Almost anything Broadway, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Kristin Chenoweth, Adele...there are more, I'm just blanking right now.

9. // Could you go without eating ice cream for a year? No. A world without ice cream is a world that I don't want to live in.

10. // What do you want more, a Polaroid camera or your choice of 20 books? Oh my gosh this is hard...hmm....I would probably have to choose the Polaroid because they're so cool, and I could get more books from the library. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!!!

11. // If you could spend a whole day with a blogger, who would it be? I can't just pick one blogger. That is impossible. SO I'm going to say that it's a blogger party. And I would invite Leah (duh), Olivia, Rachel from Silver Mess, and Abbiee from Abbiee. We would have an absolutely wonderful day full of chocolate.

My Questions:

1. Quote that you live by?
2. Favorite Bible verse?
3. What do you always procrastinate doing?
4. What is the one thing that can make your day instantly better?
5. Biggest source of stress?
6. How do you get rid of stress?
7. Best moment of your life?
8. Favorite holiday?
9. Five words to describe your best friend?
10. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
11. Biggest pet peeve?

Nominees: Elisabeth @ a flyleaf // Katie @ A Writer's Faith // Abby @ Purple Roses // Rachel @ Silver Mess //

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The Tag of Happy

I think that this is seriously the best tag ever, and I was nominated by the absolutely wonderful Olivia. She's one of my favorite bloggers on the planet, and you should go check her out right this second. Her blog is literal perfection. <3

BOOKS// Jane Eyre, Catching Fire, Every Soul A Star, Harry Potter, Eleven Birthdays, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, A Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice, A Wrinkle In Time, Eleven, The Outsiders, Princess Academy

WORDS// lovely, incandescent, eloquence, serendipity, ethereal, aurora, wanderlust, bibliophile

MOVIES + TV// The Princess Diaries, Death in Paradise, I Love Lucy, Murder She Wrote, Anything Disney (EXCEPT FOR UP GAH), Boy Meets World, Once Upon A Time, Anything on Hallmark, Dancing With The Stars

SCENTS// Chocolate, my Garnier Fructis straightening spray (IT JUST SMELLS SO GOOD OKAY), vanilla, paper, fresh laundry, baking, a familiar place, citrus, springtime flowers, the ocean, warm bread

SONGS// Satisfied (Hamilton), Drops of Jupiter (Train), Lego House (Ed Sheeran), Burn (Hamilton), Oceans (Hillsong), Roses and Violets (Alexander Jean), A Team (Ed Sheeran), Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol), When We Were Young (Adele), Mary's Song (Taylor Swift), Dying Ain't So Bad (Bonnie and Clyde), How To Save A Life (The Fray)

MISCELLANY// big sweaters, hot cocoa, dancing, messy hair, nailing your eyeliner, sleeping in, warm weather, reading, journaling, chocolate cake, long conversations, kittens, friendship, beautiful photographs, days spent at home, laughter

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I'd like to nominate Hannah, Lauren, Elissa, Abbiee, and YOU!!! I cannot wait to see y'all answers! Let me know if you do this tag so that I can head on over to your blog and read all the lovely happiness. ♥ 

Christmas Tag + Getting Tech-y!

Oh my goodness guys- it's one week until Christmas! That really freaks me out. Like, a lot. I absolutely adore Christmas, but I just wish that we had a couple of extra weeks to get ready and enjoy  the season. That being said, I'm determined to enjoy this next week as much as possible, and to be as Christmas-y as possible!! I found a great Christmas tag over at The Enthusiast, and I thought that it would be fun to fill out!

1. What is your favorite Christmas film?

It's a tie between White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. They're such classics, and I have to watch them every year or it just doesn't feel like Christmas!

2. Have you ever had a White Christmas?

I did once, a few years ago. It didn't snow a ton, seeing as I live in the South, but it was enough to stick, and it was just gorgeous. Gosh, I love snow.

3. Where do you usually spend your holidays?

We stay in town for the holiday season, and then on Christmas day we spend the morning at home, and then go to my grandparents' house for the rest of the day. It's so much fun!

4. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Hmm. Either White Christmas (surprise surprise) or The Christmas Song. They both just make me feel so warm and happy!

5. Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

Nope! We like to save them all for Christmas Day. : )

6. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?

OF COURSE! Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph!! Now I have Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer completely stuck in my head....

7. What holiday traditions are you looking forward to most this year?

Well today we had our big Christmas cookie baking day, so that was a ton of fun. We make sooooo many cookies, it's wonderful. And then on Christmas morning we all sit around and take turns opening gifts, and then spend the rest of the day with my grandparents. It's so much fun, I absolutely cannot wait. No matter how old I get, I never lose my excitement for Christmas!!

8. Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

Fake. We've had the same tree for as long as I can remember, and I just love it.

9. What is your all-time favorite holiday food/sweet treat?

Anything with sugar!! We have so many sweet treats that I just can't pick a favorite.

10. Be honest; do you like giving gifts or receiving gifts better?

Hmm. As fun as it is to receive gifts, it's seriously so much fun to work really hard on a present and then to see the person's face as they open it. I love it.

11. What is the best Christmas gift you've ever received?

Oh gosh. I've been lucky enough to receive so many amazing Christmas gifts over the years. I think I'm probably going to have to pick the tickets to see the Wicked tour that I received last year. Oh my word, that was the best show ever.

12. What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

Honestly, I don't even know. I don't think that I'd want to be anywhere but home on Christmas. Although in the days leading up to Christmas, I think it'd be fun to be in New York City, to see the store windows and the gigantic Christmas tree.

13. Are you a pro-present wrapper, or do you fail miserably?

Well, I wouldn't say that I'm a pro by any means, but I've gotten a lot better over the last couple of years. I'm pretty proud of my progress haha! Although I can guarantee that every single year without a doubt, I WILL rip some wrapping paper.

14. Most memorable holiday moment?

...This is so hard! I really can't pick. Baking. Decorating. Driving around, looking at Christmas lights. Wrapping presents. Opening gifts as a family. Watching Christmas movies. I can't pick just one moment- the holidays are filled with such wonderful moments.

15. Do you make New Years resolutions? Do you stick to them?

Well, I have a total list-making obsession, so I always make New Years resolutions. I'm TERRIBLE at sticking to things, though, so 90% of the time I don't. To be completely candid, I don't even remember what my resolutions were for 2015. I know that I have them written down somewhere...

16. What makes the holidays special for you?

To go along with #14, there are so many things that make the holidays special. I guess just all of the fun, and all of the memories that are made every year. : )

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I'm not doing the whole nomination thing this time around, but if you like the questions, please answer them!! I'd love to see you do a post of your own. : )

ALSO! ANNOUNCEMENT! 

I now have an Instagram + Pinterest for Totally Graced!! You can find me on both @totallygraced. :) SO FOLLOW ME, LOVELY PEOPLE!! I WILL STALK YOUR ACCOUNTS AND LIKE YOUR PHOTOS AND PIN YOUR PINS!!

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Hope that you're all having a wonderful holiday season!! I CAN'T WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS!!!! Well, actually, I can wait. But this is going to be a really great week. <3