2015 Reading Goals in Review

Hey, y'all, remember when I was like, "I'm gonna read 40 books this year!" and we all shook our heads and laughed a little because there was no way in reality that that would actually happen?

Get ready to giggle some more, because WOW did I fail!

52 Lists, Week 25

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 25: List Your Favorite Summer Activities
Summer is in full swing here in So Cal and while many people (I'm looking at you, people in school) will be gallivanting about chasing down ice cream trucks and organizing picnics in the park, I will be languishing in an office, remaining as pale as though it were still January. However, there are some summer activities I enjoy on my days off, and here's that list:

• BBQ-ing
• bike rides at the beach
• watching fireworks shows
• going to Disneyland
• spending a day at the pool
• camping
• hiking
• visiting the farmer's market
• going to the county fair
• going to the OC swap meet (followed by an afternoon at the beach)
• stargazing
• concerts in the park
• toasting marshmallows (and friends) at bonfires
• eating tomatoes from Mom's garden
• roadtrips
• going to the lake
• eating hot dogs and potato salad
• binge-reading poolside
• experimenting with summer cocktails

I especially love a good mint julep, with properly crushed ice and good bourbon. Yum.

*My camera capabilities are currently out of order so I will update a photo of my list when they are restored. Sorry for depriving you of my fantastic photography skills.*

How about you? What are your favorite ways to pass the time and keep cool in the summer? Got any great cocktail recipes I should try out? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  

52 Lists, Week 24

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 24: List Your Favorite Things in Your Favorite Color
This is a funny one that my niece helped me think up. My favorite color is purple - any shade, any tone, doesn't matter. Lavender, magenta, royal purple.... I could go on. This particular list isn't very long, but here's the list of some of my favorite things that happen to come in my favorite color.

• jacaranda trees (of course)
• African daisies
• pens
• stationery 
• forget-me-nots
• blackberries
• berry smoothies
• my fairy dress
• lavender plants
• my teacup and saucer from England

So there you have it! Some of my favorite things in my favorite color.

*My camera capabilities are currently out of order so I will update a photo of my list when they are restored. Sorry for depriving you of my fantastic photography skills.*


How about you? What's your favorite color?Are there any of your favorite things that always come in your favorite color? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  

52 Lists, Week 23

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 23: List Some of Your Treasures
I was always into "treasures" when I was younger. I had a few special boxes, each with different kinds of treasures in them. From my seashell collection to tokens from elementary school to love letters from my high school sweetheart, I have some things that I want to hold onto as memories for when I am very old.

• my purple teacup and saucer from England
• my books
• my cat (he's my best friend so yes, he's treasured)
• my great-grandmother's tortilla recipe - family treasure
• my tea set collection
• my grandmother's emerald ring and the story behind it
• my crystal rosary Kyle brought back from Ireland for me
• the postcards I kept from Europe, 2007
• all of my journals, especially the one from junior year and the following summer 
• my Wildflower Cardigan
• old love letters
• all the sweet babes I get to take care of: Lila, Talia, Jude, Adam, Braeden, Makenzie...

There you have it. I could have listed out all of my favorite books, but I've already done that. 

*My camera capabilities are currently out of order so I will update a photo of my list when they are restored. Sorry for depriving you of my fantastic photography skills.*

What about you? What are some of your most prized possessions or keepsakes? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  

52 Lists, Week 22

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 22: List Your Favorite Growing Things
It's gardening season and while I don't have a garden of my own (living in a condo doesn't really allow for it - and our HOA frowns upon more than 2 potted plants) I still love looking at other people's gardens. My mother has an insane garden in the summer (her tomato plants get to be bigger than me!) so I get to garden vicariously. In honor of garden season getting going, here's my list of my favorite things that grow:

• jasmine vines
• daisies
• orange trees
• cattails
• creosote
• Oregon roses
• jacaranda trees
• tomato vines
• a piece of knitting
• my family tree
• my to-read list
• boxwood hedges
• sunflowers
• sweet peas
• my niece and nephew

There you have it! My favorite flowers are on this list, as are a few other funny things that "grow."

Bad lighting = bad photo. Sorry.

What about you? What are some of your favorite summer garden plants and flowers? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!


Love,

Willow


P.S. I'm now officially on Instagram! Follow me HERE.

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  

52 Lists, Week 21

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 21: List the Things You Want to Do By Your Next Birthday
My birthday is in 2 days (on Wednesday! 25!) and this is the first list I had to DIY. Moorea Seal's pre-made lists end at week 20 (wtf right?) so from here on out you'll be reading lists curated by moi. Hope you don't mind. Here's my list.

• be halfway to my total savings goal for Santiago
• be making more money at my job
• be in a romantic relationship (God willing)
• be involved at my new parish
• have an organized (or at least more so) bedroom
• get the blog running really efficiently
• have more Catholic friends
• be a Certified Catechist
• knit more complicated garments with a better understanding of gauge and sizing

It's not a lot (I'm not very good at setting realistic, concrete goals it seems), but those are the bones of where I'd like to be this time next year. I need to be doing more, having more experiences, and living my life a little more vibrantly - that's my hope for the next year of my life.

Sorry for the truly appalling photo - the lighting in my house sucks

So there you have it! What about you? Got any big plans for your next birthday or any things you'd like to change in your life over the next year? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!

Love,

Willow


P.S. I'm now officially on Instagram! Follow me HERE.

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  

52 Lists, Week 20

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 20: List Your Summer Goals
I don't usually make summer goals because I don't get tons of time off in the summer to do stuff (I wish!), but I'm thinking it might be nice to have some concrete things to work on/get accomplished this summer.

• start walking in the evenings again (train for Santiago!) - solo or with a buddy
•  spend more time outside - go to Mom and Dad's pool on my lunch break
• go rollerskating with my sisters on Wednesday night at least 3 times
• continue improving ye olde blog
• catch up on incomes and expenses at work - get stuff entered into the Neat database and keep up with it!
• get things at work that need to be shredded organized and shredded
• get on top of new/abandoned case files and get them finished
• go up to Salem at least once
• meet my summer savings goals for Santiago
• start saving for Europe next summer
• renew my passport
• read at least 5 new books from my list
• get my desk and vanity organized
• pick patterns and yarn, and cast on, for Lila and Talia's Hanukkah sweaters

Challenge: This week, I will prep for summer by...
clearing off my desk in my bedroom to make more productive use of the space.

So there you have it! What about you? Got any splendid summer to-do's? Know of any killer beach reads I should add to my summer reading list? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!

Love,

Willow


P.S. I'm now officially on Instagram! Follow me HERE.

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  


 

Pinterest, Vol. 17

Happy Friday and welcome to Pinteresting! The part of the show where I roundup my favorite pins from this week and share them with the world. I pin recipes, decorating ideas, religious stuff, teaching thoughts, funny stuff from Tumblr, kids' activities, crafting ideas, knitting/crochet patterns, and cute cat pictures.


 1)

Source

This quote from St. Faustina has so much going on in it, I'm still trying to unpack all of it. I've been thinking a lot about suffering lately (I'm trying to write a post about it but it's really hard) and this quote about suffering perfecting our ability to love others brings it into clearer perspective.

2)

Post about kids interrupting

This post is one of my favorite things I've read in the last two weeks. I'm very familiar with having little people barge into adults' conversations and sometimes insisting that they say, "Excuse me" before they interrupt results in them screaming it at you and then yelling what's on their mind anyway. This mom's method is much simpler - and quieter - and gives kids a sense of empowerment with the "secret code." I can't wait to start using it with the little ones in my life.

3)

This Miss America contestant

I don't know which state she represents but this young woman is clearly more than a pretty face. I'd love to see what she could do with 20 minutes if this is what she did with 20 seconds.

4) 

 this post

Kendra is always so spot on with the stuff she writes.  In this post she explains how she introduces her kids to fine art and culture. Her methods may not work for everyone but it works for her family and I think her approach is both practical and effective. Go read it!

5)

This Card

Ignoring the alarming lack of possessive apostrophes present, I couldn't help but laugh at this Secretary's Day card. As someone who is an Administrative Professional/Office Manager/Executive Assistant/the only one who actually knows what's going on, I have a deep appreciation for it.

6) 

this text post

I think it is tremendously important for more people to see this. I realized a while ago that there are a lot of things I'm not informed enough about to form an opinion. I don't have a problem saying that. I'm the kind of person who would rather hear both sides of an issue than just make a snap judgment and I sincerely hope that more people will come to the same conclusion.


That's it for this week's edition of Pinteresting! I always enjoy curating my favorite, most recent pins. If you're not currently on Pinterest, make sure you take a moment to say goodbye to your loved ones before you log on, because there's no going back! You can follow me on Pinterest (any or all of my boards, find your cup of tea) HERE. Happy weekend!

love,

Willow

**Author's Note: None of the images in this post are my property. I have borrowed them from Pinterest and made my best effort to ensure that the Pinterest pages linked to link to an original source. If you see your work here and want it taken down please see my About page and contact me. Thank you for not suing.**

52 Lists, Week 17

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 17: List the People You Admire
I had to spend some time on this list (that's why it's more than a week late!) because I believe that there is a large difference between people I like and people I admire. I may like someone a lot and love spending time with them, but I may not necessarily want to be them when I grow up, you know? Anyway, on my physical list I just listed their names but here (since I have more room) I went ahead and shared why it is I admire these particular folks.

•  Beth - for her bravery to pack up and move and change her life when it isn't how she wants it, her moral fortitude, and her enduring friendship
• Deneen - her hard work, positive outlook, creative spirit, and loving nature remind me to be a better human being
• Aunt Leslie - she does a hard job really well, and is brave and asks for help when she needs it
• John Green - for teaching us how important it is to imagine people more complexly
• Hank Green - for making science and politics a little more fun and a little more accessible to more people
• Neil Gaiman - for encouraging us to be weird and to make good art
• J.K. Rowling - for writing the stories that will live inside us forever, and for being a model of charity
• Emma Watson and Malala Yousafzai - girl warriors
• My friend Harriet - who lived her whole entire life

This week I will honor someone I admire by...
finally sending a letter back to Beth!

So there's my list for this week. I've mentioned my friend Harriet before and I should really dedicate an entire post to her story, because it had a really big impact on my life and my writing. 

What about you? Who are the people in your life and in the world that you admire, look up to, and aspire to be like? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own! 

Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  
 
 

52 Lists, Week 16

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 16: List Your Favorite Books
This is the list that could go on forever and is probably the hardest one I'll do for this project. However, after spending some time with my bookshelves and explaining to them that they are all important to me, I have come up with a list of the books that are at this precise moment firmly on the Favorites Shelf. 

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
• The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling
• Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen
• The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexander Dumas
• The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
• Tell the Wolves I'm Home, by Carol Rifka Brunt
• I Am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak
• The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
• Open Letter to Quiet Light, by Francesca Lia Block
• The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green
• Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare
• Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine
• Signs of Life, by Scott Hahn
• The Secret of the Rosary, by St. Louis de Montfort
• The Picture of Dorian Grey, by Oscar Wilde 

I thought perhaps my top 16 books for the 16th week of this project would be appropriate, no? I should probably post some reviews of these books on the old blog sometime soon...

What have you been reading lately? Any absolute favorites you think I should add to my To-Read Shelf? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own! 


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  
 

52 Lists, Week 15

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

*A brief note of apology to those of you who are subscribed by e-mail - there was a formatting issue on my previous 52 Lists posts which I have since corrected, so I apologize if you were inundated with e-mail updates regarding these posts.*

Week 15: List Your Favorite Quotes
I love quotes. I love that it's a thing in our world that there are certain words other people say that we love so much we would keep them with us and bring them out when we need them most. Humans are so wonderful that way, don't you think? Here are some of the words of other people that are special to me:

"There are seven days in the week. 'Someday' isn't one of them." - Unknown

"All I need today is a little bit of coffee and a whole lotta Jesus." - Unknown

"Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you." - Else de Wolfe

"Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars." - Serbian Proverb

"Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale." - Hans Christian Anderson

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

"Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." - The Sandlot

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." - Walt Disney

"Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly." - Rose Franken

"Maybe our favorite quotes say more about us than the stories and people we are quoting." - attributed to John Green

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite." - Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower


Those are some of my favorite quotes. The list is ever changing (except that last one) so maybe I'll do a round-up of my favorite quotes sometime in the future when I've got some new ones to share. We shall see. 

What about you? What are some of your favorite words from other people? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!

Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  
 

Pinteresting, Vol. 16

Happy Friday and welcome to Pinteresting! The part of the show where I roundup my favorite pins from this week and share them with the world. I pin recipes, decorating ideas, religious stuff, teaching thoughts, funny stuff from Tumblr, kids' activities, crafting ideas, knitting/crochet patterns, and cute cat pictures.

1) 

Felt Post-it Coasters

These felt coasters are meant to look like the post-it notes we leave for ourselves, with little reminders and cute sketches. They are completely customizable but you can download a pattern for the designs shown. I might make these as a housewarming gift for my new roommate, or as a gift for someone. (Can you imagine using a bit of sassy cross-stitch for these?)

2)

About Being Pretty

I really like this. I'm not the world's prettiest 24 year old girl. But I'm pretty smart, and I'm pretty capable. I want my sisters to know that there are things they can be pretty good at other than just being "pretty." Especially pretty kind.

3)

Keep your embroidery floss organized

I'm sure I'm not the only person who likes to embroider things but really struggles with keeping all that floss tidy when I'm working on a multi-colored project. This neat little trick involves a scrap piece of cross-stitch fabric (or scrap fabric of any kind) and masking tape with the color symbols written on it in sharpie, with the corresponding colors already threaded onto needles underneath. This even saves having to thread a needle every time you change colors. I like it!

4) 

  This 'Do

 

My hair is still at that awkward length where I can't do a ton with it and summer is coming and the bun on top of my head is getting really boring. This looks doable with my crazy-thick hair so maybe I'll give it a try next week and see how wearable it actually is.

5) 

These Corner Designs

I started embroidering hankies a while back and I've been meaning to get back into it this summer (a nice, light project). These corner designs are sweet and classic and really cute. The website (pin links to it) also has monogramming patterns you can do as well, which is neat. I love handkerchiefs - once they're soft and well-worn they're really handy and you know me: I looooove a classic.

6)

Questions about the Mass

I liked this list of eight questions non-Catholics (and even cradle Catholics) ask about the Mass. Things like holy water, genuflecting, the small Sign of the Cross, etc. are discussed in a simple but lovely way. A good read.

And that's it for this week's edition of Pinteresting! I always enjoy curating my favorite, most recent pins. If you're not currently on Pinterest, make sure you take a moment to say goodbye to your loved ones before you log on, because there's no going back! You can follow me on Pinterest (any or all of my boards, find your cup of tea) HERE. Happy weekend!

love,

Willow

**Author's Note: None of the images in this post are my property. I have borrowed them from Pinterest and made my best effort to ensure that the Pinterest pages linked to link to an original source. If you see your work here and want it taken down please see my About page and contact me. Thank you for not suing.**

52 Lists, Week 14

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 14: List Your Childhood and Current Dream Jobs
I'm not sure about you, but when I was little I had a very, very clear idea of what I wanted to be when I grew up. I had my whole life planned out and until I was about 20 I was completely on track to make that plan a reality. Of course, then life happened and I've had to re-write my Life Plan several times in the last few years, but it's always nice to look back and look ahead, and see how much I've grown and changed since I was a 7 year old dreamer.

Childhood Dream Job:

• Princess-Pirate
• actress
• nanny (before I realized how much work that is!)
• Stay at Home Mom (SAHM)
• novelist
• librarian
• archeaologist
• secretary
• nun (you may pick your jaws up off the floor - when I was 14 I honestly thought I was being called to a cloistered convent)

 Current Dream Job:

• Catechist/religious education reformer
• novelist
• poet laureate (pipe dream, that one)
• secretary
• historian
• professor
• homeschooling wife and mother
• YA reviewer (they still pay people to read and review books, right???)

You'll see a fair bit of overlap - like I said, I've known what I wanted for my life from a very young age. I'm still a little surprised at how some things have changed, and those things that haven't. 

 It's about to rain - hence the dark pic. The general badness is because I'm not a photographer.

What about you? What did you want to be when you grew up and then what did you grow up to be? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!

Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  
 
 

52 Lists, Week 13

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 13: List the Things You Want to Make
There are lots of things I want to make, since I've always been a very crafty person. Knitting, embroidery, sewing, etc., I've been into crafts since I was a kid. Here's my list:

• my Wildflower cardigan - halfway finished!
• Hanukkah sweaters for Lila and Talia (special requests)
• a family cookbook
• berry cobbler for summer
• new friends
• throws/granny square afghans for the living room couch
• enough money to get out of debt and save up for Santiago
• my home a nicer place to live
• lots of books
• Catholic religious education in the U.S. better
• my mother proud
• a positive difference in the world
• a family of my own

Wow, this is a bad picture. I take notoriously poor photos but this deserves an award...Sorry!

So those are all the things I want to make. What about you? What are the things you want to make this month, this year, or in your lifetime? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!


Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html  
 

52 Lists, Week 12

Happy Monday! Welcome to my 52 Lists Project, wherein I feature one list every week for 2015. To join in with your own list, scroll down to the link at the bottom, print out your own list, and then share it however you wish!

Week 12: List the Things that Feel Like Home
This week's list is about homey-ness. This list - like all the others - is hardly exhaustive, but after looking around my house for a few minutes and trying to imagine things missing, I came up with some of the things that make or break my home. Enjoy!

• books
• Gatsby
• books
• tea
• handmade throws, afghans, blankets
• family antiques
• family pictures
• the smell of Mom's perfume
• jacaranda trees
• fresh flowers and open windows
• my books
• the smell of jasmine bushes
• summer
• Christmas trees
• cooking - especially roast chicken and berry cobbler
• crucifixes and Madonnas

Lots of smells (our sense of smell is most closely linked to memory, after all) and things from my childhood home (handmade blankets, jasmine bushes, Mom's crucifix in the kitchen), but also things that are unique to my home: jacaranda trees, Gatsby, my books, open windows, etc. I think as we grow up our sense of home changes, but there will always be things (like my Mom's perfume and berry cobbler) that always bring us back to the home we grew up in. 

What are some things that feel like home to you? What objects or smells bring you back to the home you grew up in? What are some things that have changed your perception of home over the years? Let me know in comments or with a list of your own!

 
Love,

Willow

For more fun with 52 Lists, click down on "52 Lists" in the little categories section at the bottom of the post, and go over to Moorea Seal's site to see more!

Check out Moorea Seal's entire project at her blog below:
http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html