My Bucket List

Inspired by the AMAZING giveaway going on over at Life is Too Short Not to Wear Red Shoes, I've decided to make a bucket list. I've been thinking about making one for ages, but never sat down and took the time to do it, so here is my chance to correct that ;). In no particular order:

Go to college.
Have a novel published.
Discover something no one ever knew(preferably in the biological field).
Develop a successful career that, directly or indirectly, changes and saves lives.
Rediscover my faith and build a stronger relationship with God.
Fall in love.
Get married.
Have a beach house.
Buy my mom a beach house.
Pursue photography.
Go to the west coast.
Go to Alaska.
Go to Ireland.
Go to Paris.
Go to Spain.
See the pyramids.
Bungee Jump.
Whitewater raft on a natural river.
Share God's love with someone.
Learn guitar.
Hang Glide.
Camp for REAL.
Get my masters degree in something practical that will advance my career.
Read the complete works of Shakespeare.
Get in a food fight.
Begin and maintain a healthy lifestyle--exercise, diet, everything.
Be a mother, when I'm good and ready to change the focus of my life off of my career.
Meet some of my blogger friends.
Ride an elephant ;).
See Cage the Elephant in concert.
See MUSE in concert*****MUST DO!
… I'd also list 'be in a movie', but I've actually checked that one off :). Though, a credited ROLE as opposed to background would be pretty awesome.

Anywho, this list is far from exhaustive--it is just what occurred to me right now, as I watch the Harry Potter movie event on ABC Family. They were so cute and little back in the first films! :D. People, the giveaway has tons of prizes, and entering is easy--click the button and check it out! And don't forget to comment here, with some of YOUR bucket list items! I'm curious ;).

Giveaway Winner! :D

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who entered! I was so excited to host my first giveaway, and I'd say it was a success, all thanks to you guys! :D. Well, now on to the news you've all been waiting for…


THE WINNER IS:



Congratulations Bleah!!! You WON! :D :D :D! Make sure to email me with your shipping address and choice of prize! So happy for you! :D. Again, thanks to all of you for entering-I may do this again in the future! Until next time,

Guin's Blog Party/Huge Giveaway!

Hey everyone! The lovely Guin of Singing in the Rain is having this HUGE blog party/giveaway (seriously, it's massive), and all you have to do is answer the tag questions and link up! Here I go...



• Favorite thing about summer? Not having school, and being able to really READ-I'm an avid reader when I can be, and the library… <3
• In your opinion, the best scent in the entire world? I love Moonlight Path, and the vanillia/sugar something hand sanitizer I have is YUMMY.
• An embarrassing moment: heh-no.
• This is a bit overdone, but, what's your clothing style? I'm thinking about posting on this in the near future, so I'm skipping out on a lengthy answer ;).
• Deep question time: vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate.
• What do you think: is the Twilight fad dying out?  And if it is, are you dancing over its grave? I think that the hate against it after it reached its height of popularity caused it to begin to die out… I'm not dancing over it, but you can bet I'm not crying xD.
• Favorite quote? Just did a post on them :).
• Best thing that has ever happened to you and why? Getting the scholarship I needed in order to attend college! :D :D :D. WHY?!?! Because it's a miraculous opportunity I've always dreamt of!
• Traveling: where would you want to go? Ireland, Alaska, Spain, France, Australia, New Zealand… idk, a lot of places! :)
• Favorite food? Hmm… I love mac n' cheese, salads, mashed potatoes, OOHH, CHEESEBURGERS :D!
• What type of music do you like? Most kinds, but I mainly listen to modern rock and alt rock.
• Canon or Nikon? (If you're not a photographer, don't feel like you have to answer this...): Whichever one I wind up buying! xD
• Are you a squeamish person? Any stories? Not really, but I hate spiders. I was traumatized once by these huge black ones on vacation outside in the dark, and then going to my grandparents immediately afterward which was overrun with spiders… in the bathtub, on the patio, everywhere. After running around with Raid and still getting scared crapless every two seconds by something crawling near/ON me, I almost had a stupid panic attack because I felt trapped! It was so weird… never felt that panicked over something before, much less something so irrational. It was really irrational fear, and ticked me off.
• Flipflops, bare feet, or heels? Heels when I'm out and about, flip flops at the beach, and bare feet at home and in the yard :).
• Do you like old black and white films? I don't pick movies based on color or not, but I do like many older black and white movies :).
• Skirts or jeans? JEANS, though I'm working on getting over my 'I don't like wearing skirts' issue.
• Fresh or saltwater? What does this even MEAN? I like filtered water to drink, if I'm swimming I prefer a pool, and if it is asking ocean or lake, I prefer the ocean (or at least the shore ;) ).

Guin is such a kind hearted girl, if you haven't checked out her blog before you really ought to! And regardless, you can head on over and join in the fun :D! By the way, less than a week left to enter MY lil ol' giveaway :). See you guys later!

Update from the Beach (and reminder-10 days left to enter my giveaway!)

Hey everyone! Blogger's issues caused the first comments on my last post to vanish, so I'm planning on copying them from my Reader and posting them back soon, then responding. Sorry to those whose comments disappeared :/. Anyway, just thought I'd give you guys a quick update:

The fitting on Thursday(the day of starvation) went great, and was an exciting new experience. I'm not allowed to talk about anything about it, what I wore, what we're going to do, anything, so I can't really post about it :/. I so, so, SO wish I could tell you guys, cause there's a lot to say, but I can't :-P. Rest assured it was FUN though :D.

The colonoscopy Friday went fine, I'm alive, and we still don't know what's wrong xD lol. I also finally got to eat-my sister swung by McDonald's on the way home (she was kind enough to take me, my mom was working), and I got nuggets and a fish sandwich ^_^. Food is good.

My mom got an 'emergency' phone call last night, and I wound up needing to change costumes due to unforeseen circumstances, so I went in for a second fitting this morning. I was fine with it, and am still so excited :D.

And after the fitting, my family and I hit the road for my graduation vacation at the beach! We got here a couple hours ago, and I just got a chance to sit down and breathe, and thought I'd let you know what was up! My camera is dead, so I don't have any pics yet, but before we left I showed my sister a video I love:



She does Marcel's voice PERFECTLY, it's SO FUNNY!!! She was going through her makeup bag and pulling out stuff, for example a compact that was just powder around the edges, and said in her Marcel voice "this is my sand box. Sometimes-sometimes I fill the middle part with water, and then it's my ocean"… it was too cute! Also, just a reminder, you still have ten days to enter my giveaway! I've been making more items, just need to get them listed :). Also, though no longer listed, I DO have another pair of the Triangular Sunshine earrings (the first pair sold, but I bought more gems because they were so popular :D). Thanks so much to everyone who has entered! Until next time,

The Big 100! (Giveaway)

Hey everyone! Today is the day of my 100th post, and as I look back on my blogging experience I have a lot to be grateful for. I've gotten to know some pretty amazing people through blogger, and come to think of many of you as friends :). I've prayed more since I began blogging, and cried for the sorrow of others, and felt more connected to other people and God Himself just by reading YOUR words. I'm one of the worst and most unreliable bloggers I know, but I do enjoy myself, and am planning on doing so for another hundred posts! And to show my gratitude to you, my forty-one forty THREE? (Thanks so much Jordan and Allie!) FORTY FOUR (Thanks Olivia too!! Wow :) Haha, I started writing this a bit ago and keep having to edit!) fabulous followers, I've decided to host a giveaway :). What am I giving away? Any pair of earrings from my Etsy OR $5 off + free shipping on a set(and my shop is about to begin rapidly growing, so check back often for new items!). Want to see some of the items you could win?

















How do you enter? The rules are simple!

1. You do NOT have to be a follower, all you have to do is visit my Etsy and comment on this post telling me what your favorite item is (required initial entry). Because my inventory should continue to expand, you are not 'stuck' with this item if you win-you can check out my Etsy again and see what your favorite is when the giveaway closes.
2. Following(and commenting letting me know you follow) gives you 3 extra entries (cause I love you that much!).
3. Posting about my giveaway, with a link to my Etsy, gets you two more extra entries-just comment with a link to your post so I can check it out!

So, if you comment telling me your favorite piece (required), follow my blog, and post about the giveaway, you would have a total of 6 entries! This giveaway ends Wednesday, May 25th, at 11:59pm. I'll announce the winner, as determined by random.org, within one week of the 25th(I can't say a specific day, because I'm going to be at the beach and then my grandparents, so I'll make sure I let you guys know whenever I have internet!), and the winner will have 3 days to comment/email me and tell me what item you'd like! My shop is located >>HERE<< I hope you guys like what you see! And sorry it took me so long to get this up-I was studying like a crazy person over my world history final all week, and took it yesterday morning… I actually think I aced it :D! I meant to post this last night, but passed out in the early evening and didn't wake up till this morning xD. Anyway, love you all, and thanks for making blogging fun!

What I'd Do for a Cheeseburger (+ a Giveaway!)

Okay, so I have a confession. I would kill for a cheeseburger. Yes, chocolate is amazing (especially dark chocolate...), but it's cheesey meaty goodness that makes me go insane! There are not enough words to describe just how much I love them. And from almost anywhere-a great, REAL loaded burger is best, of course, but even a fast food burger can make me slightly psycho... and if I'm hungry, more than slightly psycho. My sister goes crazy for bread-not like a loaf of sliced bread, but good restaurant bread. My mom loves those Lindor Truffles. It seems like most people have that one food that they're nuts about-what's yours? But anyway, the reason I'm mentioning it HERE is because there's a giveaway going on over at Horsefeathers, and the prize is this lovely Key Lime Pie pendant from Emariecreations.






When I was checking out her shop, I saw this cute little Miniature Cheeseburger pendant.




Which is the excuse I'm making for this random post. Head on over to Horsefeathers for the details-you only have until midnight Saturday to enter!

*Also, good news at Center Stage, head on over*

I'm sorry I haven't kept you guys posted, but things with my family are just getting so unpredictable... I was planning on telling you a couple weeks ago that I was moving out, because I thought I was, and then that became unclear, so I didn't say anything, and then my doctor thought I had colon cancer, which would throw a monkey wrench in everything because health care is expensive, and then a different plan was made, and then that plan was thrown out the window, and I found out I'm okay and don't have cancer, and then my mom had a late night talk with my dad about everything, which I had asked her not to do for safety reasons, and now EVERYONE in this house is going to go to therapy, including my dad, who has said for years that he's perfect and everyone else needs help, not him. So yeah... my brain is exhausted at the moment... XD lol. I've rewritten a Life is Sweet post a dozen times, because the good and the bad keep changing all together, but I hope to sit down, write it, and post it before somebody drops an emotional bomb sometime in the upcoming week! I obviously haven't been able to keep up with a 'weekly' Music that Moves Me post, and I've decided that making any promise at this point is stupid because I just don't know what I'm going to be doing in the upcoming weeks, but I want you guys to know that you all mean a lot to me and I'll keep posting songs and updates and advertise other people's blogs, which I seem to be doing a lot lately, as often as I can ;). Also, thanks for the comments-they're why I decided to post even though I just don't feel like doing anything right now. I'm glad to be (kinda) back :). Until next time, your remarkably-inconsistent-blogger-who-loves-cheeseburgers-and-is-trying-out-the-whole-optimism-thing,



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Last Day to Enter Leanna's Giveaway + The New Thing In My Sidebar

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that the lovely Leanna of Violet Reaction is having a giveaway at her blog, and today is the last day to enter! What can you win? The necklace below(three are shown so you can see the wire/chain options):

If you're interested, head on over! Also, I'm now putting links to giveaways of interest in my sidebar, under the title 'Check It Out', between the Scavenger Hunt Award from Kendra and the Love Hurts image from Kenzie-Michelle. I've actually been putting links in there for a while, but never posted about it and TOLD you it was there, so I'm doing that now :). The current giveaways in the box are the necklace mentioned above, a New Year's Resolution giveaway for FIVE books of your choice released in January(ends 1/12) at Girls Without a Bookshelf, and Amanda's CSN Giftcard giveaway, worth $20 in any of their stores, at Farmgirl Writes(ends 1/21)! Just wanted to give you all a heads up :). If any of you know about a great giveaway and care to share, do so! I just reread that, and WOW I sound like a salesperson! Oh well, it isn't like I'm telling you spend money or anything.... you can get all this, for FREEEEE (Bedtime Stories style ;) lol).

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Blog Party for Inspire!

There is a party going on with Farmgirl Writes, Living on Literary Lane, and Inspire! The goal is to get Stella more followers over at Inspire, and she is having a huge giveaway to do it!

If you go over and choose to follow, then answer the tag and link up, you are entered to win quite a variety of gifts. Stella's blog is lovely, and she also has two other design blogs, if you want to check those out :).

1. If you had to choose between living on a desert island or tropical rainforest for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
I'd have to go with tropical rainforest… even though I would hate the mosquitoes and humidity, I'd probably live longer than if I was left without water in the heat… actually, I'd probably die in EITHER environment! So… neither? LOL...
2. What is your favorite music CD right now?
At the moment, I'm revisiting an old favorite-Unbreakable, by Fireflight-which I hadn't listened to in a while until just a few nights ago. I love the lyrics to those songs… might have to post on a couple of them sometime.
3. If you were given the choice between wildflowers or roses - which would you pick?
It depends on the occasion… I don't really know, I mean, if someone was sweet enough to get me flowers I'm not sure I'd care what kind they were!
4. How much do you like notebooks? Is it mild, or are you absolutely obsessed with them?
Used to be obsessed, but now I just mildly like them… it is because I'm not writing as much, unfortunately!
5. What is your biggest goal this winter?
Get flipping caught up with my homework, enjoy my birthday, clean my room, enjoy Christmas, get my Google Reader EMPTY and deal with my 60 unread emails, try to lay down the burdens I have placed upon myself, talk to my friends as much as possible, and start posting regularly! And oh yeah, MORE college applications!
6. If you could change your hair however you wanted, what would you do?
FUN question. Shorter, definitely, and with the front right section dark, dark purple (demi-permanent, of course-I wouldn’t want permanent, just for fun).
7. Do you think Harry Potter is bad?
Allow me to quote Dumbledore on this one, "It is not our abilities that show what we truly are. It is our choices.". My mother was hesitant because the series is dark-there is definitely a dose of evil, and the series involves wizardry. But Harry Potter is NOT bad. The fact of the matter is, there is evil everywhere, right outside our own front doors. What is important about the series is that the main characters fight for justice and good and hope no matter what-in the face of the worst terrors their world holds they stick together and value friendship and love above all else. Yes, those characters have powers that we do not, but it isn't the magic that is important-it is the choices that those characters make.
8. Why do you think pink is a girls' color?
Because society is brutal and demands macho-ness from it's male members, or they are mocked into questioning their manliness. At least, that is how it was when I was little, but society is constantly changing form like a boggart so I can't swear to you now :).
9. Would you be up to singing a solo in front of a thousand people?
After a couple years of vocal lessons, SURE! XD
10. What colors look best on you?
Eggplant is the best, and then probably olive… though I wear a lot of black. I have hazel eyes, and shades of purple and green really make them pop.
11. If you had a different name, what would it be?
I… don't know. I AM Elizabeth. My first name just seems an inseparable part of my identity at this point… I guess after almost 18 years, I'm used to it!
12. Do you like...
boots or sneakers?
My two favorite pairs of shoes are my converse and my black boots. I refuse to decide!!!
flats or heels?
Heels-definitely. I'm actually more comfortable in them, because I have really high arches and they tend to support my feet better.
books or movies?
Both.
purple or pink?
Purple, always purple.
long hair or short hair?
Depends on the person's head.
a best friend or a group of friends?
I have a very small group of best friends, which is pretty awesome ^_^.
ice cream or cake?
"Ice cream... always has been, always will be"-I agree with Amanda 100%
plaid or polka dots?
Plaid… I've always disliked wearing dots… I don’t know why, but I do :).

If you actually read this-wow! Three tags in a row and you're still reading? You're too kind :). I love you guys, and will begin posting normally asap :). Thanks for everything,



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Vacation Log: Monday + Nightshade Giveaway

First off, Kari over at A Good Addiction is giving away an ARC of Nightshade by Andrea Cremer:

Is that cover striking or what? I've read only positive reviews of this book, but haven't read it yet myself. Just thought maybe one of my followers was wanting to get their hands on this like I am, so I decided to give ya'll a heads up :).
Last Monday I woke up with a full on sinus headache and it hurt to move, so when my parents went fishing, I didn't join them. I stayed in the room, eating and watching tv. Then, it started raining really bad, then wind and thunder and lightning, and I was getting worried. I called my mom's cell several times and didn't get an answer, then the door to the room opened and my parents stood there absolutely dripping. After it stopped pouring rain, it remained dark and cloudy. Here is a pic from our balcony:

Tomorrow, you'll see plenty of pictures, because the sun was shinin' and we hit the beach, and this time I had my camera :D!!!


--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


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Giveaway + Kendra's Scavenger Hunt + Some Books!

Hey everybody! Stephanie from Stephanie's Saga is having a giveaway! The prize? Any item $11 and under from Violet Reaction! (that is over 72 items to choose from!). It is really easy to enter, and if you DO choose to enter (or even if you don't), please head on over to her blog and let her know in a comment I sent you :).


The scavenger hunt (created by Kendra of Carpe Diem) has now passed, and my searching for clues all though the night payed off! I managed to get 1st place!


Bleah from With Love and Kisses created this, and I think she did a wonderful job :).


In other news, while I was volunteering at the library book sale (mentioned briefly here) I bought some new (for me) books! The hardbacks were 50¢, and the paperbacks and children's books were only 25¢, and after 2pm you could get as many books as you could stuff in a grocery bag for $2! I ended up with a nice 12 books, and while I could have gotten more, I was in a hurry to get home and change for work :-P. I read the summaries of all of these, and they sounded decent, so I'll see!

The one I'm most interested in reading right now is Ambergate, by Patricia Elliot. The snippet on the back gave me goosebumps and sucked me right in!




Plus, I love this cover :). The other book I'm interested in is The Graveyard Book, which I've heard positive things about :). Most of these were snagged from the juvenile fiction section, but the bottom two are different. I loved taking philosophy last year, and two years before that, and so when I saw a book on Neitzche I was very intrigued. It is fiction mixed with some facts, and is a blend of philosophy and psychoanalysis.
Also, one of the colleges I'm currently considering is Wake Forest University, so when I saw a book on the development of the medical school, I had to get it :D. The only problem with having all these books is WAITING to read them. I have lots of homework and we're about to leave for vacation and I'm feeling sick... really sick. I had to call out of work this morning :(. However, once I'm done with cleaning house and packing and get some homework done, I think I'll actually get to read for fun!!! And now, I have some books to choose from :). Can't wait to dig in! Are any of you familiar with any of these books? And what about those prices? :D.

Thanks for reading,

--
"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


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Summer Memories: Week 5

This is the final week of the Summer Memories giveaway over at Farmgirl Writes! And here is this week's question:

"So tell me - how are you going to spend the last few weeks of summer?"

A few days ago I spent all day at a family friend's pool, which was a lot of fun :). Tomorrow I get to see my brother, which is always wonderful, and he's giving me a laptop! I've wanted one for a while, so I'm really excited. I'll probably spend a couple days getting it all set up for the school year. He already cleaned it off to make it faster (he's a computer whiz), so that is a huge help. My mom and I are heading to the pool again next week sometime(a final opportunity to get some sun for the first day of school ;) , and I've been working as much as I can before the school year starts, since homework will probably cut down my hours of availability. Also, I somehow need to find a day to go shoe shopping with my mom (my dad gave my black sandals away… by mistake… yeah), and schedule a dentist appointment (my teeth have been sensitive lately). Plus I've really got to clean house :(. I've got less than two weeks left of summer, and a lot of little things to accomplish (which can be hard with me and my mom both working and different schedules), so this will be a hectic time that I need to take advantage of.

What about you guys? What are you doing to enjoy your last weeks of summer?

Right now, I'm going to clean house since I'm here. And while I'm gone, you can listen to Cleaning Craze, a playlist I made five minutes ago which is a copy of a CD I made ages ago and just found :). Some of the awesome songs from my CD (and all of the Cascada songs, actually) weren't on playlist, so I added the one remix at the end partly for laughs. It's funny how tastes change… I can't believe I had Tell Me Something I Don't Know on there (though the CD had the original, not the remix). Anyway, best tracks that you might not know are 4, 7, 8, 11, and 13. And yes, this list is all POP, my least favorite genre (gasp).

P.S. I know I just posted Summer Memories: Week 4... I thought I'd posted it days ago but earlier today saw it was a draft, so I'm sorry they're so close together ;).

Summer Memories: Week 2

This week the theme is...

Family and Friends

Who helps you make those memories?
Family and friends both, but mostly family (I don't see my friends anywhere near as often). Great memories come from visits to my grandparents, and my aunt and uncle visiting here. And probably my favorites are when my older brother and his wife come over. He is married and lives elsewhere, so we don't see eachother often, but he is one of the people I love most in this world. And we see him more in summer than during the school year because we're all so busy then. Plus, hanging out by the pool, fishing, spending time with my mom and sister is awesome. So my biggest memory making helpers are my closest family members :)

What about you guys? Who helps you make your summer memories? Check out the Farmgirl Writes button in the sidebar to participate in the blog party and enter the giveaways :)

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"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


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Summer Memories: Week 1

Hey everyone! Farmgirl Writes is having a giveaway, and you can click the button the right to learn more and enter :). This post is to talk about three of my fondest summer memories :)

1. I loved kayaking with my father, sister, aunt, and grandmother. It was the first time I'd kayaked, and doing it with family who I don't see often made it even more memorable. That and the fact that we went under a low tree and I got stung by a black wasp thing that wouldn't get off my arm. It was a ginormous red sausage after that... lol. But kayaking was SO MUCH FUN! :)

2. A girls trip to the beach with my mom, sister, and me. It was so relaxed and fun just the three of us, cutting up and hanging out by the pool, walking the beach and catching mole crabs... it was a wonderful time :)

3. A friends 18th birthday party was a lot of fun, and I can't help but smile looking back on it. We played with water guns and hit each other with water balloons that wouldn't pop and I played ultimate Frisbee for the first time. But mostly, just seeing my friend rocked. It had been too long :)

So what about you? What are three of your fondest summer memories?

"But you see, it's not me, it's not my family.
In your head, in your head they are fighting,
With their tanks and their bombs,
And their bombs and their guns.
In your head, in your head, they are crying..."


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