The Mason Jar - Summer 2013

  At the beginning of the summer, I decided that I should take an idea I've seen all over the internet {Pinterest, YouTube, Blogger, etc.} and make it my own!  And so, I found a mason jar and started writing.

  Everyone knows that feeling.  That feeling where you feel like summer just started when it's already the day before the school year starts.  Time flies, and-my goodness-June is already almost gone!  Knowing this, I want to relish every moment of this summer.  That seems pretty easy, but I also want to remember.  Obviously you have your own memory, but sometimes that fails you, so what do you do?  You write it down.

  The pointe of my mason jar is to take a sticky note {or any other piece of paper, therefore} and write about it every time something good happens to me.  It can be something little, or something huge.  The picture above was taken about a week ago, and I've continued adding to the mason jar since, so it's actually almost full now!  I'll soon need a new way to hold all of these happy little {or big!} memories, and I think that's pretty cool.  This summer has barely even started, but it's already probably the best summer I've ever had.

  This summer I really have just lived in the moment, done things very spur of the moment, become so much closer with friends, had some great dance experiences, and so much more.  I've had friends over to swim, gone to some bonfires, gone to the public pool with friends, gone out to eat with friends, made a music video with Makenna, and other things that are really, really, great.  I'll keep these recorded memories for as long as I can, and whenever I'm not having the best day, I'll have all these great things to reflect on.

  On the last day of summer, I'm going to read every single one of the pieces of paper that I have written out and put into my mason jar.  I'm sure I'll have a bunch of things to read about, to relive, and I'm sure I'll be smiling and laughing all the way through.

So, this summer, let's make it great.

If you want to use this idea, go ahead!  It's definitely not entirely mine, and I really recommend using it.  All pictures in this post belong to me, and were taken by me on my phone.  :)

Five Sleeps 'til Santa!

  Well, since my last post, quite a few things have happened . . . 

Pictures in this post were taken last night when the blizzard started!

1. We had a BLIZZARD!  {{Last night!}}
2. We had a SNOW DAY! {{Today!}}
3. We're having ANOTHER snow day! {{Tomorrow!}}

  So, needless to say, I'm a very happy girl.  :)

  Christmas is coming oh-so soon, and I still have some presents to buy!  XD  I might be getting some presents for friends, my cousin, and my dad tomorrow, if the stores downtown are open, that is!

  Sorry for not much of a post today, but I'll probably have more snow pictures tomorrow night!

xoxo,

Carolyn

Tis the Season!

  I don't know about you guys, but I am completely and totally in the Christmas spirit!  Drinking hot cocoa, putting up decorations, painting my nails all festively, and the like.  ;)  I just can't wait for Christmas!  <3

  I actually had my Nutcracker Ballet performance yesterday, and I think it went pretty well!  I don't usually remember much of it at all, since it's so fast and I can basically hear my heart pounding.  XD  I guess I'll see how well I did when I get the DVD.  ;]

  But really, Nutcracker was great!  I had such an amazing cast and an awesome "fan club" that came to support me, and I just loved every moment of it.  I'm so sad to know that it's all over, though!  Now what I'm thinking about is how I need to practice for the parts that I want next year!  XD

  Today was our first ACTUAL snow, but our technical third snow!  :D  YAY FOR SNOW!  <3  I absolutely adore snow, even though it brings lots of cold.  XD  But still, snow = white Christmas = HAPPY CAROLYN! XD

  Recently, I haven't done anything else/nothing much has happened that's been all that exciting.  Nutcracker has definitely been the highlight of my December!  :D  I've been vlogging today, since-it seems-that nearly every other YouTuber on the PLANET is doing Vlogmas . . . and it seems like a bunch of fun.  ;)  I've barely posted anything on YouTube, though, so this will be a good pick-me-up for my channel.  :)

  So, I will end this post with some Instagram photos for you to enjoy!  :D

Getting ready for Nutcracker dress rehearsal

Hot cocoa <3

The best socks EVER from my cousin {Nutcracker Gift}

First snow!

xoxo,

Carolyn

P.S.- Sorry for no posts recently!  I've been really busy!  But don't forget to check out my YouTube! :D  Vlog going up soon!  :]

Goodbye, October!

  So, I haven't posted in a long while . . . eek.  I apologize.  XP  I last posted at the BEGINNING of October, and today's Halloween, or otherwise known as the last day of October.  I really am extremely sorry, guys.  But I do hope you forgive me!

  So, October was a rather good month!  Full of fall colors, smells, sights, and sounds.  :]  My dad's birthday was the 19th and my brother's birthday was 24th, and they're both A YEAR OLDER!  :O  That's the oldest they've ever been!  :D  I've had lotsandlots of dance, which is AWESOME.  :3  And for Halloween, I didn't dress up, but I do have a costume to wear . . . for our Halloween dance TOMORROW!  <3

  So, I am very really extremely excited for November!  Let's compile a list of great things that will happen once November is here!

NaNoWriMo!

NaNoWriMo is starting tomorrow, and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to achieve my goal of 25,000 words!  :D  I'm writing the sequel to my first NaNoWriMo book, The Fall of Olympus: Storm!  :3  I'm really utterly excited to become re-acquainted with all my lovely characters!  :]

The Fall Dance!

Tomorrow is also the day of my first school dance of the year!  :]  It's a fall/Halloween dance, and there's a costume contest!  :D  I'm dressing up in an extremely comfy costume that's quite original, if I do say so myself.  ;]  What is it, you ask?

  And if you guessed Harry Potter, you're wrong.  Who else wears circular, black, glasses?

. . . 

WHERE'S WALDO, OF COURSE!  :D

  So yes, I am very excited for the dance.  I'll be slow dancing with my lovely friends, because we're all #foreveralone.  XD  {{#hashtagswag #hashtagsdontbelongonblogsbutidontcare}}

TAKE ME HOME AND REACHED!

The new One Direction CD comes out on November 13, and I am COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS!  Ahhh, so excited, as I am me, the obsessive fangirl Directioner!  :D Which reminds me, my Jack-o-Lantern this year was the 1D symbol.  ;D

And also on the 13th, Reached by Allie Condie-the third book in the Crossed series-is coming out!  I can't wait for this, either!  <3

MY BIRTHDAY!  {{And my mom's.  XD}}

I am SO excited for my birthday!  November 17th, only 17 days away!  :]  We're having our family birthday party this weekend, and my birthday party with friends will be on the 16th and 17th!  :D

My mom's birthday is on the 30th, too!  :D  We're both November birthdays!  ;]

~ ~ ~ 

  So, I've got a LOT to look forward to in November, and that's not even all of it!  :3  November's going to be a good month.  I can just feel it.(:

xoxo,

Carolyn

Falling for Fall

  First, please let me apologize for not posting in A MONTH.  But let's not dwell on that.  XD  So, let's get on with the post! :]

  Fall is officially here.  The leaves are brilliant shades of orange and red, and they make such a satisfying sound as I walk on top of them.  The temperatures have dropped rather significantly, and it's basically the perfect weather for hot cocoa and reading good books.  :]

  I got rather excited when October came rolling around.  October means a lot of things to me, so I guess I'll compile a list of those many things!

1. Fall is officially HERE
2. My dad's birthday
3. My brother's birthday
4. Cool temperatures
5. Nutcracker practices! :D
6. Dance team!
7. My schedule becoming routine
8. Homework -.-
9. Reading
10. Warm sweaters, jeans, and tall boots <3
11. Halloween 
12. NaNoWriMo is near!
13. . . . And so is my birthday!
14. . . . Which means so is my DSLR!  {{Well, hopefully. I'm saving up!  ;]}}

  Needless to say, I'm excited for this month.  Oh so much.  :]

  I decided to take this opportunity to talk about some books I've read/am reading/am really excited to read/hope I get for my birthday.  XD

  So, I recently finished re-reading The Hunger Games!  It took me a REALLY long time to re-read it, as I had a lot going on in August and September.  But come October, I just powered through it.  XD  I did enjoy it a LOT, though {I mean, how couldn't I?  It's The Hunger Games, for goodness sake!}, don't get me wrong.  ;]

  So, a couple days after I finished The Hunger Games, I decided to start The Maze Runner by James Dashner!  :D  I'd been wanting to read this book for some time, since I'd found it through Goodreads.  So, at the beginning of the school year, I noticed my English teacher had it on her bookshelf, so I checked it out as fast as possible!  I just started it yesterday, actually, and I'm loving it already!  <3  It's such an interesting concept, but it does have that Hunger Games vibe to it that I find in most of the books I read.  XD  It also reminded me a bit of The Heroes of Olympus series, which is another AMAZING series!  {{I'll return to that topic soon.}}  But anyways, it's really awesome, so you should check it out.  ;]

  So, speaking of The Heroes of Olympus!  THE MARK OF ATHENA CAME OUT NOT TOO LONG AGO AND I'M KIND OF FREAKING OUT.  :O  Seriously, I NEED TO READ THIS.  Bleah, if you're reading this, I read that you're feeling the same way.  XD

I'm kind of adoring the fact that my house now has a blue front door.  :3

  So, fall, I love you very much.  I am so happy that you're here, and I'm most definitely falling for you.  ;]

xoxo,

Carolyn <3

{{By the by, I'm ten away from my goal.  And I'd really adore that ten by my birthday.  Thanks so much for all the follows, lovely people!  <33}}

Hello, September!

  I can honestly not believe that it's already September.  2012 is whipping past so quickly, it's pretty crazy!  XD  I know I'm not the only one to think that, I've read at least three other blog posts feeling the exact same way!

  I've spent September lazing around, eating barbecue, taking pictures {that I am quite proud of!}, writing lists for my birthday {because it's not that far away, really!}, and dreaming of my DSLR.  ;]

  I've finished my second week of school, and it was pretty darn good!  :D  Nothing to complain about, really.  ;]  Plus, we got out of school early every day this week because of heat, so I'm just content.  XD

  Sorry for the boring, small, post, but I don't ever feel like writing much when I have photographs in my post.  XD  So, that explains it!

  I hope September's lovely for all o you, and I'm sure it'll be gone before we know it, so let's enjoy it.  :3

xoxo,
Carolyn

Tennis and Such

  I am proud to say that I am officially a tennis player!  XD  Two hours of the sport, and I love it already. ;]  We learned all the basics in the beginner class, and then we did more to actually use those things in the advanced class, so I'm feeling pretty good about everything! :D  {{Yes, I take the beginner and advanced class.  That is because I will be gone for the second session of classes, so we wanted to get as much out of tennis for the summer as we could!}}

  But I won't blab too much about tennis.  I am just so happy it's really, truly, summertime.  There's not a better feeling than knowing I can relax all day, snap photographs and talk with friends and dream of when the pool is warmer than seventy degrees {le sigh}.  I can read and write and doodle and daydream all I want.  It's summer, for goodness sake!

  So, I am uber excited for tomorrow.  And why is that?  DANCE!  Oh, I am just so happy that I get to do some dance in the summer.  It's only going to be an hour and fifteen minutes per class, but it's better than nothing. ;]  I really hope my flexibility hasn't left me yet!  XD  Well, it is a stretching, leaping, turning, and conditioning class, so-even if it has left me-I can get it back in no time! :]

  Oh, and just to inform you, I'll be pretty busy this month.  I made myself a calender and its my background on my computer.  So, just so you know, here's my schedule:

This is the "safe version" of my calender.  AKA I took out all of the stuff that would give away where I live, where I'm going, my age, etc. etc. etc.

  So, I'm rather busy this month!  XD  I will be on vacation from the twentieth to the twenty-second, just to let you know. :]

  Well, I haven't much else to say, but have a lovely summer to you all!  Is anyone doing anything fun? :D

~Carolyn

j u n e

  Can you believe it?  It's June!

Found here

  I simply cannot believe how fast months zoom by.  It still feels like March was just yesterday, that April still hasn't come around, that school is yet to end, but it's June, really and truly.

  Speaking of school, it ended on the thirtieth of May!  WOOT!  XD  I am so happy that school's over, and I've spent my summer vacation very well so far. ;]

  On the last day of school, I had Makenna over, and we had LOTS of fun.  And I do mean lots.  We blogged about it here!  Then the next day, I went with her to Panera Bread {a restaurant} and then to a mall, and then to Orange Leaf {a frozen yogurt place}!  So yeah!  XD  We've had lots of fun already, and we're most likely hanging out again tomorrow, which is also her birthday!  :D

  Today we went out of town because my dad had to get our pool water tested to make sure it's safe to swim in.  So, after we did that, we went to a store to see if they could re-wrap the handles of these old tennis rackets we had, since I start tennis on Monday!  :D  So, we'll pick those up on Sunday, and everything will be dandy. ;]  Then we went to Target, the ever-amazing store of everything!  XD  I got two new swimsuits since none of mine fit, and I am very happy with them!  :]  I also got a new pair of sandals, which I kind of needed, so I'm content now.  XD

  How's everyone's summer going?

~~CaRoLyN

Happy Memorial Day!

  Hey everyone!  Happy Memorial Day!  I'm not really going to be doing much for Memorial Day, sadly, but that's okay, I guess.  ;]  Everyone enjoying their day off of school?! :D

  Well, today I'm not going to do too much.  XD  I'll probably hang out with my little neighbor {here's a post that has to do with her!}, we've hung out every day this weekend.  ;]  We'll probably dress up all of my dolls {and her doll, too!}, and then totally change her idea of what she wants to do.  XD  That's what usually happens.  So, I expect we'll draw/color, I'll probably do her hair, and we'll go outside.  I love hanging out with her, though, she's a pretty awesome first grader. ;]

  OH!  Our pool is ALMOST ready, which I am SO very excited about!  My dad said that it will most likely be ready to swim in by the last day of school {Wednesday, if you're wondering}, so I will get home from school and jump into the water.  XD  Gah, I am just SO excited!

A terrible picture of our pool!  :D  {{Oh, and that's a floatie thing over on the far end of the pool  deck.  If you were wondering.  XD}}

Pool ladder!

  Along with our pool-and along with summer-in this part of the world comes . . .

This frog here is hiding between a loose board on the wall of the pool deck and the wall. XD

  FROGS!  XD  You always know that summer's on its way when you start to hear the frogs harmonize together.  They sing mostly at night {perhaps their song should be called, "Summer's Lullaby"! XD}, so I always fall asleep to their chatter.  :]

  Well, I hope you all have a lovely Memorial Day!

XOXO,
Carolyn

In Which I Rave About the Almost Summer-Ness

  Oh my applesauce!  {{Uh.}}  It's ALMOST SUMMER.  Please wait while I go and do a happy dance.

**INSERT HAPPY DANCE HERE**

  Okay, so anyways.  XD

  I only have THREE days of school left!  HALLELUJAH!  I had an end-of-the-year field trip today, I have track and field events tomorrow, then no school on Monday, we're doing Survivor Games {which I will call the Hunger Games} on Tuesday, and last day of school on Wednesday!  So, I am extremely, EXTREMELY, happy!  XD

I don't know if you can see it, but in this picture, you can see {out of focus} my neighbor swinging!

  I do believe you know about what I'll be doing over the summer, so I won't drone on about that.  {{And if you don't know, and you want to, click here!}}  But once it's June, I will be the happiest girl ever.  :]  Before June, though, I must get a couple things done!  XD

THINGS TO DO IN JUNE

1. Buy a swimsuit {because I must get a new swimsuit.  Or two.  Or three.}
2. Swim.  Lots.
3. Invite friends over for a "SCHOOL IS OVER, HALLELUJAH!" pool party. ;]
4. Read Delirium
5. Get new songs on my iPod
6. Buy a Florence + The Machine CD
7. Wish my bestest friend Makenna a VERY happy Birthday!
8. Have my friend from my old town over
9. And introduce her {^} to some friends in this town!
10. Write.Write.Write.

  So, June is going to be a lovely month, I do hope.  :]  I do believe that dance and tennis start out in June, too.  So . . . yay!  XD

  Well, I hope you've all had a lovely day, and have a lovely rest of the school year, or rest of May, or rest of . . . anything?  XD

Love, Love, Love,

Carolyn

By the  by, I wanted to add this little tidbit that happened a while ago:

Me: **Brushing hair** I'm not going to brush my hair right now, since I don't FEEL like it!

Mom: Oh, you rebel you!

Me: OH YES.

Cute Little Things

  Hey all!  :D  Sorry I haven't posted too much lately, I've been . . . well, I really haven't  been too busy . . . I don't know.  I just haven't been blogging much at all.  XD  I really do apologize.

  ANYWHO!  ;]  So, the other day, my dad called my brother and I outside.  He'd been working on our landscaping {yes, my dad does our landscaping, not my mom. XD}, so I was expecting him to want to show us some plants or something.  {{That would've been rather boring, might I add.}}  But instead, he showed us this ADORABLE little thing!

  Yep, he showed us a little bunny!  He was hopping around, so shaky because of all the people crouched around him.

 
  But my goodness, it was so CUTE!  XD  I have a soft spot for little animals.  Well, little things in general, I guess.

  It was hiding under this little cut off tree branch.  Pretty cute, if I do say so myself.  ;]

  I hoped you enjoyed those random pictures!  XD  I don't post too much photography on here, obviously, but I do on Friends Through Photos, which is the photography collab blog I'm in.  I'm week 2- Friday!  :D  So look out for me there.  ;]

  Anyways, let's not let this post be just about baby bunnies.  XD  I'm going to talk about SCHOOL.  {{How boring!  XD}}

  So, as all of y'all that live in the States {well, most of y'all, I guess}, you know that SCHOOL IS ALMOST OUT!  For us, school gets out on Wednesday the 30th, so I have only SIX days of school left!  :D  {{We don't have school on Memorial Day, by the way.}}  Also, one of those days we'll be gone all day on a trip, so that's exciting!  :D

  So, once school is out, then what happens?  Good question.  XD  I usually think I'll blog more, but that doesn't always happen.  Why?  I do better on a schedule.  My life is quite scheduled during the school year.  Mondays are free.  Tuesdays I have dance.  Wednesday I have piano lessons and Church.  Thursday I have dance.  Fridays are free.  Saturday I have dance and sometimes Church.  Sunday I have dance and sometimes Church.  Add homework and practicing French horn in there, and you've got my life!  XD

  But in summer, I can do whatever I really want.  Therefore, I don't manage my time well.  {{And I admit it.  XD}}  This summer, I really want to stay more on track, to get more done.  I really want to read a lot, and write, and practice my instruments.  I will have more to do, though, as I know I'll be in tennis, dance {yep, summer dance classes this year!  YAY!}, and I'll also be babysitting.  :D

  Also, I'll be on vacation for a while. :]  I know I'm going to one place for about a week, and then some other mini-vacations for about three days.  So . . . yeah.  XD

  Well, hope this made sense and wasn't too painfully long.  XD

Love,
Carolyn

  It's May!  {{Surprise there!}}  It's crazy how fast time flies lately, it seems as if we were just in winter, we hadn't even had Christmas, but it's May, and school's almost out.  **SQUEE!**  And when school's over, what does that mean?

Summer.

  And because I am so excited, I will have a short list of things I will do to fill up my lazy days:

--STRETCH!
--Go swimming {in our pool!}
--Take lots of pictures *nods*
--Rearrange my room
--Make lists :]
--Complete my 102 things!
--Hang out with friends
--Color {OF COURSE!}
--Play my instruments
--Sing :]
--Write
--Read

  And by the way, I've been doing a lot of that last thing lately, reading.  And just to prove it . . .

Terrible picture, I know.  XP

  Yep, this year I've read seven books!  I know some people read seven in a month, but oh well.  XD

  Right now, I'm reading Divergent by Veronica Roth.  It's FANTABULOUS.  If you like The Hunger Games or Matched, you'd like this book.  Lots.  XD  And so, when I get done with that book, I'm planning on reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  VERY excited to start this one, too!

This looked a LOT better on my camera.  XP

  Now, I was just thinking.  Once I finish Divergent and Delirium {kind of jumping ahead, but . . . XD}, I'll have nine books read, and my goal is ten this year.  I think I'll pass that easily, but I'll keep it at ten for now.  Which reminds me!  On Goodreads, there's a 2012 Reading Challenge, where you set how many books you want to read and then update when you've read more.  So far-as I said-I've read seven.  They say I'm four books ahead . . . OH WELL. XD

  So, I only have twenty days left of school left . . . I am just SO excited.  XD  But believe me, I LOVE school-no joke.  I just love summer, too.  :]  So yes.  XD

Love, Love, Love, Hug your Books for Me,

Carolyn <3

I Don't Have Much to Say, But . . .

  Shalom!  I decided to post because . . . well, I wanted to.  I'm currently sitting across from Makenna from Hi, I'm Makenna.  You should really follow her blog, even though she hasn't posted much yet.  She's pretty awesome.  ;]  We're at the library right now.  It's rather boring, but we have to work on our homework soon.  Poop, right?  Yeah.  Definitely.

  So . . .  I really don't have much to say.  I want to say . . . something awesome.  But I don't have any ideas.  So I will leave you, telling you that you MUST follow Makenna.  Please.  Por favor.  In whichever language you wish.  :D

Tree!  From-like-last summer!  XD

Lovesies,
Carolyn

Yolk's on Me

  Don't'cha love my AMAZING title?  I had originally titled it the generic, "Happy Easter!" And so I changed it.  XD

  ANYWAYS!  Today is an amazing day, no?  :]  Jesus really does love all of us, always has and always will.  So, thank you so much, Jesus.  I love you so much!  <3

  So, today has been a great day!  I spent the majority of it at my grandparents' house with most of my mom's side of the family!  Woot, woot!  We sat out in the sun, and ate way too much food, and turned a year-old cake shaped as a lamb into a reindeer.  Yes, my family is lovely.

  As us cousins sat and ate today, we had a conversation about how bunnies and eggs resemble Easter.  Quote my cousin Maggie: "Why isn't it the Easter Horse?"  My brother nods and replies, "I could really picture the Easter Horse."  OH FAMILY.

  So, today was amazing.  I rode my bike when I got home.  Fun stuff.

Lyrics from You and I by Ingrid Michaelson.  Cos dats how I roll.

Lovesies Times a Jillion,
Caro-sauce

New Design and Springtime!

  Oh, this design makes me feel so cheery and happy it's spring, how about you?  ;D  The header picture is actually one I took today because my red bud tree is . . . well . . . budding!  :D  And so, without farther ado, some pictures I took outside today!  :D

This picture is rather out of focus, but I like it.  :]

The focus on this picture is REALLY cool, I think.  What do you think?

HEADER PICTURE!  :D

The grass is SO green from the rain we've been getting.  It's really pretty and uncut.

Still some water droplets on the grass.  Gorgeous for picture-taking!

Oh.My.Goshbubbles.  I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT THIS PICTURE!  I LOVE it, how you it's focused on that one drop of water and there are more drops in the back!  **gah**

Oh grass and water, how I love thee.

  The weather over in this part of the world has been very nice lately!  Although rainy, the land is becoming green and lush again {gosh, I'm quoting The Hobbit without intentions.  I apologize.  XD}, and it's so beautiful.  :]  I am SO super excited about the Hunger Games movie and CAN'T wait until my shirt gets here.  What shirt, you are wondering?

  That shirt right up there is the shirt I ordered on . . . Monday, I believe, and it will {{HOPEFULLY}} be here by the time of the Hunger Games movie.  Crossing my fingers!

Loaf you All,
Carolyn