February 2020 Wrap-Up

Hello, friends!

~ Happenings ~ 

// I went running errands with my sister Lissa. We'd just had a big snowstorm and we’re too short to see over the snowbanks! It was a fun ride. xD 

(Snowbanks in Montreal)

    

    (Snowbanks at home)

// I reread allll the Emily Abbott books to get ready for the second season. I'M SO EXCITED. I'd forgotten how much I loved them & how good they were. Book 7 is scheduled to come out in March and I can't wait!!

// I did A LOT of blog prep. I've only got December + a bit of November left to do for OFBL, and for LBFJ I've got most of posts already decided on & need to write them up. It's a lot of work but it will be helpful, I think. And I like being prepared. ;D And I also majorly updated & formatted my Book pages on OFBL.

  

    ^^side note: as of March 2, I have 113 posts ready & scheduled for OFBL.

// I reread Constance Savery's “Reb & the Redcoats” with Mary, and enjoyed it so much, and picked up on a super cute & sweet thing, and remembered why I loved the book so much... its so goo

 

// I edited & rewrote a little of my short story (< 5,000 words) Just Allissa. I will be running through it one more time sometime this year and then I'll be publishing (aka putting the files in Dropbox for you all to access it) during September or October. :) 

// You guys. I finally reached a major reading goal of mine. I finished the Questions of War series. Finally. I was so happy. But also so broken. ;) 

 

// Talking of reading (I read an insane amount of books this month, even more than in January), I did a lot of reading. I reread Alice's Adventures in Wonderland + Through the Looking-Glass, Heidi, and many Indie books. I also started the Elsie Dinsmore series. As of March 2 I've just started Elsie's Womanhood. I'm really enjoying the books so far! I also finally restarted & finished A Tale of Two Cities... oh my heart. No book ever made me cry with joy hours after I finished it... except this one. Sydney Carton, people. So real. Such an amazing redemption. <33

    ^^My friends know me well.... 

   

// ALSO. I RECEIVED A SIGNED COPY OFFFFF.... 

AHHHHH!!! I was so happy. This is one of my top 10 Favourite Indie books and one I was really implicated in AND I HAVE A SIGNED COPY!!! No one ever sends Canadian readers signed copies. I'm so happy. ;D

// I took some very complex (at least for me) bookstagram pictures. And I also participated in the #IndieLove20 challenge & spotlighted an Indie Author book every day except Sunday on my bookstagram. It was so fun!! I also got a story of theme for a while, which made me happy... 

// We had doughnuts for breakfast one morning. That was unexpected and so nice. :) 

// I also published my 100th post on this blog!!! It was the one on Rejecting Prejudice--very fitting, I think, because it's a topic I believe deeply in & think often about, and also this blog is a place for me to talk about deep stuff like that. 

// I looked through some old videos on my phone & just soaked in the scenery. I miss summer so much!!! Thank God it's almost April--which means spring will start coming. But I'm also trying to be content in the season I'm in. :) 

// Little joys... I learned how to change colours on Instagram stories and how to get the degrees symbol!! XD And the colours changed on my IG chats for one account and I LOVE THEM. 

// I listened to my (Scottish) folk song playlist again. I had stopped for a time because my earphones broke (yes, I know, again. I DON’T KNOW WHY MY EARPHONES BREAK SO MUCH. Though a little sibling did help these along. 😏 I’m trying extra hard to be extra careful with these.) Anyways. Now I’m listening to my folksong playlist & my hymns playlist and I’m falling in love all over again... I love these songs & these hymns so. very. much. I also discovered Rule, Brittania which I have heard a lot of but never listened to. It was like finally meeting an old friend... and I'm in love. IT'S SO BRITISH. <33 and the tune!! Oh, and The Minstrel Boy, too. Love it so much!!! 

Rule, Britannia!

Britannia, rule the waves.

Britons never, never, never shall be slaves.

^^the chorus is my favourite part!! <33 

As for The Minstrel Boy, I love the whole thing :D

 

// I finally write down some quotes from Sheffey that I had marked down & now I want to rewatch it...

 

// I think I finally nailed the getting up early thing... XD But it's still harddddd... Now that I have 6:00 rising down I'm aiming for 5:00 rising!  

// A used the Rain Rain app constantly and created some amazing mixes. ;D 

// I did A LOT of this This or That thing. It’s sooo much fun. Bet my followers were properly sick of me though. XD I also did some 3-things-about-me and recommended books of specific genres!

  

// My mother has discovered this amazing math program & she's been doing it with my younger siblings and she's been encouraging me over & over to do it because she thinks it would really help me (I'm horrible at math and can barely do mental addition.) So I finally started. Due to the craziness of the end of this month I didn't do much. But already I love it! 

// And speaking of math, this happened...

// I reread Enemy Brothers again. ;D This time I Buddy-Read it with Kassie. It felt so good to be once more in that book. It always helps to make me feel calm & at peace--it's home. It's comfortable. I chatted it over with Kassie & with Mary (guys, we talk of SO. MANY. THINGS--and we really talk of crazy stuff--but no matter what we start with we usually end up back on EB. Honestly) and I also journaled my way through reading it. I'm planning a post with a tour of my EB journal and my notes on EB, so stayed tuned for that. :) We also used the Reading Guide which Mary & I created, which was super fun. And I found plenty of stuff to fix. XP

 

// I started adding more stuff to the wall above my desk! My word of the year, my hymn of the year, my verses of the year, & my quote of the year, + two lists of productivity tips & some verses I'm memorizing. I love it! 

// I finally dug out an old WIP called The Tangled Web (and confused everyone by calling it TW so now I call it T.Web xP) It's a historical fiction mystery, and so I decide that I was going to throughly outline it before I started wiring on it again. I'm also doing a TON of research because I want it to be as accurate as possible. And I'm having so much fun. 

    ^^Researching shipwrecks in 1833 was the coolest thing ever. Just sayin'.

 

   ^^You know you're an author when you spend hours researching the perfect illness for your character. Let me tell you, now I know why so many people died in the 19th century.  

// I'm so happy with my hair!! MONAT is making it so nice. <33 

// I had a lot of fun posting pictures & pairing them quite poems or quotes. :) 

   

  

// I painted my nails. I'm trying hard tomato them grow and that's one way to keep from chewing them. And nail polish just makes me so happy. Unfortunately, two years ago I developed an allergic reaction to nailpolish and so I quit wearing it. In December I tried wearing basecoat/topcoat and that gave me no problems, so this month I tried the whole kit & caboodle. I still had a reaction, but it wasn't too bad, so I will probably start painting my nails again--and I'm so glad!! I also FINALLY have some nails and I'm jubilating. Only they break easily because they're so weak.   

I swear that's progress...

// I tried out the screen time thing on my phone that keep me off apps during certain hours. I can't get it to work for my particular schedule and it's driving me crazy XD but it's also really helpful so I'm keeping it on. 

// After looking through my mother's library I decide to add my name and the date I got it to my books. So far I've only done EB, lol, but I plan to do the rest too. :)   

// I now have 6 journals. My EB one (in which I transcribe reflections about EB), my 5-year diary (because it's cool to see how things change over 5 years), my regular diary (because I have way more stuff to say than I have room for in the 5-year one), my church journal (for sermon notes, which I'm not very good at because I often forget my pen), my devotions journal, and my reading journal (which I am really enjoying). XP 

// Random.... 

^^ Found this out by accident while researching T. Web!

^^ Too accurate. 

^^This. <33 My Heavenly Father never ceases to amaze me.

    ^^Bet you didn't know that. 

    

    ^^ Patterns are so important to me. 

    ^^In case you forgot, spiders freak me out. 

    ^^I have a thing for poetry, if you haven't noticed.

    ^^This quote. Oh my word. Hit me like a brick. I can't ask or seek to grow & not be watered or stretched.

    ^^PSA in case anyone was interested. XP

    ^^My writing prayer. <33 

 

    ^^It wouldn't be a Wrap-Up post without some of these texts, would it? xP

    ^^ #nowordsneeded

    ^^ THIS. This is one of my favourite hymns ever. <33

    ^^ Ahem, yeah....

    ^^Still working on this one, so if you'd like to write in any assumptions about me, I'd be so grateful!

    ^^Remembered this by accident, looked it up, & fell in love again... 

    ^^This was fun!!!

    ^^For some reason I did a lot of random facts about me this month...

    ^^Did I mention that spider creep me out?? 

    ^^I'm glad I'm not the only one. 

    ^^This filter is so extreme but I love it. xP

    ^^TATTERED WINGS RELEASED & I'M SO HAPPY.

    ^^So glad I finished before March!!

    ^^This is so creepily true...

    ^^ ALL. THE. TIME. 

~Reading~

Books Read: 48.

2 stars: 2 books. 

2.5 stars: 3 books. 
3 stars: 10 books. 

3.5 stars: 1 book.

4 stars: 5 books.

4.5 stars: 1 book.

5 stars: 5 books. 

5+ stars: 7 books. 

(these are approximate bc they aren't showing updated ratings for rereads)

~Favourite Blog Posts~ 

5 Ways to Support Your Single Friends | The Destiny of One
About Those Farmers | Professor Carol
Book Buddy Collab Tag | Kaitlyn Krispense, Author
Book Buddy Collab Tag | Stories by Firefly
Did I do this Surrender Thing Right? | With a Joyful Noise
Focus Counts | Loved Before Time
A Grateful Single | Loved Before Time
The Happy Houseplant || Why Are My Plants Dying? | Victoria Paige
How to create Hygge in the Workplace | 'Tis Me, Vee
How to Get Through a Long Flight + A Carry-on Checklist for TCKs | 'Tis Me, Vee
How To Help & Encourage Creative Indies | The Fearless Type
How To Keep Your Author's Voice Consistent Even Across Genres | The Fearless Type
How To Pray For Your Family | Choose Joy Day by Day
How to Salvage A Gone Wrong Passion Project | The Fearless Type
It Mattered | Loved Before Time
It's Okay to Stop | Mikayla Holman
Is He Everything You Need? | Choose Joy Day by Day
Lessons in Book Classification | The Destiny of One
Live! | Loved Before Time
My Passion for Young Teen Readers | The Destiny of One
My Top Five Reads of 2019 | Stories by Firefly
Never Have I Ever Tag (Writer Edition) | Once Upon an Ordinary
The Never Have I Ever Tag | Writer's Edition | Stories by Firefly
“Not My Will, But Thine” | Everyday Blooms
Purpose // 2020 | Victoria Lynn
Purpose // 2020 Pt 2 | Victoria Lynn
Rangers Lead the Way – Snippets | Soldier Girl Stories
Rangers Lead the Way – RELEASE DAY | Soldier Girl Stories
Rangers Lead the Way – Wrapup | Soldier Girl Stories
Roses are Red, Violets are Blue... | Read Another Page
Tattered Wings is Finally Here! | Life of Heritage
Trees of Righteousness  | Choose Joy Day by Day
Using your story to bring hope | The Destiny of One
Warrior // 2019 Pt 2 | Victoria Lynn
With Christ in the Vessel We Can Smile at the Storm | Choose Joy Day by Day
What is Age Appropriate? | The Destiny of One
Your Guide to Epic Buddy Reads (pt. 1) | Once Upon an Ordinary

Your Guide to Epic Buddy Reads (pt. 2) | Mikayla Holman 

~ // ~ 

Tell me... how was your February??