memories

My Christmas Wish List 2018

Abi Leah2 Comments

Christmas is coming up and there is a lot to do to get ready! I’ve already finished my Christmas shopping but that’s because I like to get it done really early. Here is my Christmas wish list including links to the sites in case you need some inspiration for your shopping list.

Something I Want

  • Record player
  • Essential oils
  • Brush calligraphy pens
  • Antique tea set

Something I Need

Something to Wear

  • Ankle boots
  • Knit sweater
  • Black flats
  • Grey cardigan

Something to Read

What’s on your Christmas list? Which stores do you go to to buy your Christmas gifts?

101 in 1001: A Six-Month Update

Abi Leah2 Comments

101in1001update1

It’s been six months since I started my 101 in 1001 challenge and it’s been quite the ride. I started off really well, crossing off quite a bit in the first couple of months! Now that school has started, I haven’t been able to work on as many goals as I’d like, but progress is progress and all that matters is that I’m moving forward.

Goals I’ve crossed off:

8. Go through my clothes and donate what I don’t wear (August 2018)

This goal was easy to cross off, especially during the week of packing for college. I went through every article of clothing I had and made sure to donate the ones I didn’t wear but were still in good condition.

11. Spend 15 minutes outside everyday for a month (August/Sep. 2018)

Spending time outside everyday made things relaxing and calm. I normally eat my meals outside on the patio of the cafeteria unless it’s too cold to be outside.

12. Bike somewhere (July 2018)

During our summer vacation, my family and I took a spontaneous trip to the beach for Independence Day. We biked through a small town and over many hills to the sandy beach. It was so much fun and I loved it! My favorite part was, of course, being with my family, but I also loved the wind in my hair and the smell of the salty air.

13. Go skating again (September 2018)

This goal I was a little afraid about because I didn’t want to fall and get hurt. However, falling is something that we just have to face. I went roller skating with my friends for a birthday celebration and it was a lot of fun! I hadn’t been roller skating before that, but I had been ice skating and it was pretty similar. I did fall at one point, but it wasn’t too bad!

31. Sing around a fire pit with some friends (June 2018)

This summer I visited my aunt with my family and spent the weekend with her and some of her friends. One night was all sat around a fire pit and sang songs as my sister played her ukulele. It was so nice and calming.

34. Have an early morning Bible study outside (July 2018)

There is something special about reading the Bible outside in the morning. It’s calming and quiet and makes it easier to hear what God is trying to say through His word, I think.

41. Reconnect with an old friend (August 2018)

This August I was able to connect with a friend from middle school over Instagram. She was one of my closest friends and when I left the school to be homeschooled, we lost touch. It was good to hear from her again and to know that she is doing well!

42. Start a birthday tradition (June 2018)

I have always loved the idea of birthday traditions. They always seem so much fun and a great way to have something to look forward to! My sister, her friend, and I started a birthday tradition for my sister’s birthday.

45. Take a road trip (May 2018)

My friends and I for our senior trip took a road trip to the beach. It was a great way to get away from school and the stress of preparing for graduation while also being able to hang out and talk with each other.

46. Visit a city I’ve never been to before (May 2018)

This summer my family and I went to Philadelphia to celebrate a family member’s wedding. I had never been to Philly before but I loved the city, the food, and the history behind it all! It was a nice trip and I loved seeing family.

50. Play an instrument on the beach (May 2018)

During my senior trip, my friends and I took a late night walk one night with ukuleles. There’s something calming about the beach at night and music makes it even more fun.

51. Have a picnic (June 2018)

My family invited a couple of our close friends and their families to go to the mountains with us for a couple of days. We spent one of the days hiking to waterfalls and enjoying the outdoors. This was the perfect opportunity to take a picnic with a beautiful view.

56. Go on a spontaneous trip (August 2018)

I love the beach and so does my mom, so when she had the idea to have a spontaneous trip to the beach for the day, of course I said yes. The drive was long but the hours on the beach was so worth it!

69. Have a photoshoot (September 2018)

Sometimes you just need to grab a camera and take some pictures with a group of friends. I am blessed to go to a school that has a beautiful green space which is commonly used to photo shoots by photographers around town. We followed suit and had our own photoshoot!

75. Paint on a canvas (June 2018)

Painting is something that I haven’t had many opportunities to do but I love doing. I was able to get together with two of my friends and we painted on canvas to create three individual paintings that go together. It was a great way to relax and hang out with each other.

83. Have a spa day (June 2018)

Sometimes you just need to take care of yourself and spend a day relaxing. Bath bombs, a bubble bath, face mask, and a good book make for a great day.

91. Journal every day for a month (June/July 2018)

I love journaling but it can be hard to fit it in everyday especially when days are busy. This goal was tougher than the rest in that I really needed to be intentional about the time and how I was using it. I like to journal at night before bed but that means going upstairs earlier and not falling asleep first. I am glad that I finished this goal before school because it’s a lot harder to find time to journal now that I am in college.

I’ve completed 17 of my 101 goals! How have you all been coming along in your 101 in 1001 journey? You can view the complete list of goals here for inspiration for your own list.

4 Things I Learned in My First Weeks of College

Abi Leah2 Comments

Hey everyone! How are you? I’m doing pretty well! I just finished my second week of college and it’s was amazing. I loved every moment of it. I’ve met so many people and had so much fun getting to know my classmates and hall mates. Through all of it, I’ve learned quite a bit about life and relationships. Today, I wanted to share 4 of the major lessons I’ve learned these past two weeks on campus.

1. It’s Okay To Say No

There are so many activities set up for the freshmen during the first couple weeks of school. Sports games, parties, gatherings, and meals were some of the events set up at my school. It was a lot of fun, but it was also overwhelming. There were so many people to see and talk to and so many names to remember. At one point I had to say no to a group contest event, and instead took some time with a few friends to go to the lake for the day. It was so relaxing and a great break from being around so much noise and so many people. That’s okay. Yes, I want to make friends, but I also want to take care of myself.

2. The Syllabus and Textbooks Will Be Your Best Friends

One thing that is very different from high school is the use of syllabuses. In high school, a syllabus was something that the teacher gave you but never used. In college, however, the syllabus is your road map for the year. Lose it, and you’ll be lost. I’ve found that some professors won’t even mention homework at the end of the class because they assume that you are reading and following the syllabus. The same goes for textbooks. Just read everything and make sure you’re on top of it!

3. High School Friendships May Change

I had a great group of friends in high school, and at the end of Senior year, we all agreed to stay in touch and still be friends. Things change, though, and people change too. Not everyone wanted to stay in the group. And that’s okay. Give them space and continue growing the friendships that you have on and off campus.

4. It’s Okay To Push Yourself

For those of you who don’t know, I am an English Literature and Digital Media double major and Honors student working part time. I get asked a lot why I chose to do so many things, especially my first semester Freshman year. The short answer is this: because I know I can. I believe that college is time to grow your interests, to learn about the world and yourself, and to push yourself to be better than you were. For me, that means double majoring. For others, that might mean something else. I could have chosen to wait to decide to work or double major, but I have the time and the mindset now. Why wait? That doesn’t mean that it’s not hard – it is sometimes – but it also doesn’t mean that you can’t push yourself.

Those are the four major lessons I’ve learned so far in college! What are some things you want to know about college? What have you learned so far? Let me know in the comments! I would love to hear from you!

An Open Letter to High School

Abi Leah6 Comments

openletter-highschool

Dear High School,

I can’t believe the time has gone by so fast. Four years ago I started high school and now I’ll be graduating.

I’ve learned so much in these four years, about myself, about my family, about relationships and friendships, about God, about the world. I’ve grown in ways I never would have expected. I made new friends, gained confidence, tried new things. I lost some friends too, experienced grief, and had to say goodbye to some amazing people.

I know that even though I’ll be leaving an amazing school, the relationships that I’ve built will always be there for me. It was in high school that I found my best friends, people who have pushed me closer to Christ. It was in high school that I stretched myself and became friends with people from many different groups. I know that all of these people are going on to study at great colleges and universities and will always be just a phone call, text message, or Insta picture away.

I am so grateful for the teachers as well, as they have taught me, not only about history and government, French and religion, science and Spanish, but also about life and the importance of following Christ along the way. These teachers have been praying for me and I am certain that they will continue to pray for me and the rest of the 2018 graduating class.

I think the parts that I’m going to miss the most about high school are the memories that we made together. From the camping trips at the beginning of the year, to the spirit weeks with crazy inflatable dinosaur and Baymax costumes, to the time we skipped class to play in the snow, the grades bonded together and laughed together. I loved the senior pranks, the photography class field trips, the picnics, and the prayer chapels. I loved the school trip to Peru, the movie days in French class, and the time my friend ran to Aldi to buy icecream during lunch. I loved the surprise parties, the dance nights, and the musical bells between classes. These are the things that I will miss.

And even though I am sad to leave all of these amazingly beautiful people and memories, I can look forward to the days when we will all reunite again and reminisce about the best four years we all had together.

Thank you High School, for giving me these times. Thank you for the lessons. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for the friends. But, most of all, thank you for the opportunity to grow.

signi

My 2018 Goals

Abi Leah12 Comments

Hello, friends! You have survived the first week of the new year! Yay! How has it been so far? My days have been pretty crazy as my second quarter of school ends this week and we are scrambling to have enough assignments in the grade book.

2018goals

It’s that time again to reflect on the past year and make goals for the future. 2018 is going to be a big year for me, as it is the year that I graduate high school and enter the world of college. While I am very excited for this year, I know it’s going to include lots of scary and uncomfortable changes. But that’s what life is full of! So the best thing is to make this year a great year. You with me? Here are my 6 goals to make this year great.

1. Grow in my devotion to God.

Every year I have had a different theme representing who I wanted to be and focus on for the year. Last year, my theme was peace and the year before it was hope. This year, my theme is devotion. As I looked back on 2017, I noticed how my relationship with Him has faltered a bit due to doubt and personal struggles. What I realize now is that I was resisting God because I wanted so desperately to be in control of things in my life. But, I’m not in control, God is. This year, I want to work on growing closer to God and trusting in Him for my future.

2. Keep my family relationship strong.

My family isn’t perfect but they are wonderful and I love them. We are already seeing the stress that senior year brings but I don’t want that to hinder our family relationship. This year, I want to continue to keep our relationship strong, even while I’m at college.

3. Stay connected to my friends.

I have been so blessed to have great friends who are very involved in our community as well as each other. But that also means that we are constantly busy. While we may not be around all of the time, I still want to stay connected to my friends and keep my relationships with them.

4. Finish Senior year strong.

Senioritis is real. I didn’t realize how real it was until I got my first acceptance letter. Although there is a lot of pressure among my senior class to give up and stop caring now that I’ve been accepted to college, I need to continue doing my best work in class and outside of class. To do this I will:

  • Set priorities
  • Stay organized
  • Stay motivated

5. Invest in myself.

I believe that a healthy mind and body leads to healthy relationships and a happier life. This year, I want to really make an effort to invest in myself. This can include getting back into photography as a creative outlet, writing music as a way to de-stress, and learning to say no when I am stressed and in need of rest.

6. Invest in my blog.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might have noticed that I took a couple of breaks this year. Part of that was because of my sanity, the other part being health-related. While I don’t know what this year will have in store for me, I want to put in a greater effort to be involved in this lovely blogging community. Specifically, I’d like to:

  • Host a giveaway!
  • Comment on 200 posts through the year.
  • and Host guests for collabs!

So that’s what my 2018 looks like! What are your goals for the New Year? Are there any things that you are really excited for this year?

signi

3 Years of Blogging

Abi Leah10 Comments

Hello everyone! Today marks the anniversary of my very first blog post. In the three years that I’ve been blogging, so much has changed not only in my life but also on my blog.

blogiversary

When I started blogging, I didn’t really know what I wanted to write about. With more practice and more posts, I’ve been able to find out what I like and develop my blog to how it is now. To those who have recently started their own blogs, keep it up! It might take a while for you to get it to where you like but it will be worth it. Also, don’t be afraid to take breaks. Sometimes taking a step back can give you a better picture.

I’m super excited to start this 4th year of blogging! I hope you’ll follow me along!

signi

Looking for something to read? Here are some of my favorite posts:
Travel Journal//Europe ~ May Memories ~ Travel Journal//Florida ~ Blue – A Poem

 

May Memories

Abi Leah10 Comments

Hello, everyone! Let’s talk about May. The last month of school. Crazy and utterly exhausting but SO full of happy memories! In a way, I miss it but at the same time, I’m so glad it’s over!

maymemories

The first week of May was full of happy friend memories. One of my best friends made me a beautiful pillow in between her study times. How she did it, I have no idea, but it’s beautiful and I love it so much! AP exams weren’t fun but it came with excused absenses and trips to Aldi’s to get ice cream. My 6 friends and I shared a whole tub of ice cream and it was amazing! A couple of days later, I started my new bullet journal!

bullet journal new

For Mother’s Day, my family and I took a trip to the mountains for the weekend. It was beautiful and a great way to spend the day celebrating my mom. We were even able to see a couple of geese in the river!

Next came a couple of pool parties with some amazing friends! My sister celebrated a birthday with some of her friends. Then I hosted a couple of last minute parties with my friends before school ended. I loved hanging out with everyone and can’t wait to make more memories with them this summer! Then came May 25. The day my exams started. I had my French exam first and did pretty well! After that, I had 3 more exams, British Literature, Chemistry, and Spanish. My last exam was yesterday! So glad to be done! :)

summermay

Other Things I Loved

  • Smores Frappuccino from Starbucks (all time fav!)
  • All of the blooming flowers!
  • Celebration donuts at the end of exams!
  • Getting our piano tuned
  • And then having a mini concert :)

How was your May? What are you looking forward to in June? I’d love to hear from you! :)

signi

March Memories

Abi Leah11 Comments

Hello, everyone! As I’m writing this, the rain is pouring outside and my sister is playing violin. My mom is working on starting a fire and I have a big cup of tea waiting for me. Talk about perfect writing time! This past month have been filled with tons of adventures and excitement.

marchmemories

In the beginning of the month, my mom and my sister and I drove to surprise my sister at her first away game for soccer. It was great except we ended up going to the wrong school! By the time we made it to the right school, there were 3 minutes left in the game. Bummer! But, we were able to see my sister play for a little bit and it made her really happy that we were there, so I’d say it was well worth it! :)

On the 5th, we hosted a missionary family for dinner. The family was really sweet and had lots of fun stories about life on the mission field and their many puppies. On the 12th, there was snow but it all melted within a couple of hours. Still, it was really pretty!

The next week, I had a friend over for a sleepover. We went to the park near my house and saw a beautiful tree! (Pictured below.) While we were at the park, a little girl, about 5, ran up to us and asked us to play with her. She was so adorable and I loved running around with her on the park playground! The next day, we met with another friend and went to walk on the campus of a nearby college, getting a feel for the college-life. It was a great experience and I learned a bit of what it’s like just to be on campus.

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Next came the Florida trip! My whole family spent our Spring break in sunny FL by the beach and it was beautiful! We were also able to go on all kinds of adventures including going to the Everglades. (I even made a video of it! Click here to watch it.) We got to see dolphins, birds, and aligators. A couple of days later, we went to Disney! I loved all of the rides but I especially loved the firework show at the end of the day. :) (Read the Florida Trip Travel Journal here!)

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After getting back into the rhythm of school life, I focused on memorized more Bible verses. This time, I memorized Isaiah 26:3-4 which says:

“You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.
 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.”
-Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV)

Last week, my sisters and I took a spontaneous trip to my friend’s house! We spent a lot of time playing with her dog, :) but we also spent time outside making floral creations and talking about life. It was a wonderful way to spend my Sunday and it was pretty relaxing too! :)

Some Pictures from March:

That’s all! How was your March? Did you have any fun adventures? Let me know! I would love to hear from you! :)

signi

 

February Memories

Abi Leah4 Comments

Hey, guys! Happy March! The weather outside is beautiful and I’m so ready for Spring Break! February was full of fun adventures and memories. I can’t believe it all went by so quickly!

february-memories

February started off great with my birthday! I hosted a vision board party, hosting two things off of my goals list for this year. I had a lot of fun hanging out with my friends and family. Shout-out to my wonderful mother who created a huge meal of tiny sandwiches for my birthday lunch!

visionboardp

A couple days later, I went to watch the play from my high school! It was a lot of fun and I saw a bunch of people that I know (shout-out to M, A, M, L, and H).

On the 11th, I headed over to the park with my sister to walk around and take pictures. It was so beautiful outside and it seemed that everyone was out enjoying the weather! The light reflecting off the water took my breath away. Plus, there were so many dogs – an extra bonus! ;)

Valentines Day came and went without a mishap. My sisters and I made breakfast in bed for my mom and we each got a little bouquet of flowers from our dad. On the 16th, I spent the day writing letters and making cards for my friends and family. And the next day, I went to my first college visit – very exciting.

Then came the big mountain trip! We spent three days in the cool weather with rivers and plenty of trees to sit by. (I even made a video about it. Watch it here.) I ended up spending a lot of time writing which was really fun for me. It’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to let my dreams take shape in writing form. ;) Our short trip in the mountains was a fun one and I can’t wait to go back.

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February closed with lots of flowers; flowers in my friends’ hair, flowers in vases, flowers outside, flowers everywhere! I love how such little things like flowers can brighten up the world. :)

I also tried to continue the Photo A Day Challenge this month but then I missed a day. Still, I was able to take some really pretty pictures. Here are some of my favorites. :)

Other Things I Loved

Beautiful right? How was your February? Is the weather getting warmer where you are?

signi

January Memories

Abi Leah2 Comments

Hey, everybody! How was your January? It was a great start to a new year with new goals and a new mindset. For me, January went by all too fast.

january-memories

I started off January with my friends. We had an amazing time ringing in the New Year and laughing together. On the fourth, I worked on my scrapbooks! I’m so close to being finished with the last one. Then on the seventh, it snowed. It was so much fun even though the snow didn’t stay long.

sparklers

Picture Creds: Sis

On the ninth, I received my business cards from Vistaprint. I was so excited and so pleased with how they turned out! And two days later, I received my Vistaprint Promobox. I totally forgot about it so it was an amazing surprise to receive in the mail. :)

cards

Then my friends and I started a Bible study type thing for us all to memorize Bible verses together. So far we have memorized Matthew 10:28 and Philippians 4:4-8. To help me memorize my Bible verses, I started a journal. On the left page, I write the Bible verse and my initial thoughts. On the right page, I write a “React and Respond” section where I write my thoughts at the end of the week and things that I want to remember about the verses that I studied.

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On the thirteenth, my friend (shout out to A) taught me the basics of video making. Then on the seventeenth, I uploaded my very first Youtube video! (3 Things You Should Know About Me) I am super excited about my Youtube channel. Ya’ll can expect some great things coming soon! Also, I’m hosting a GIVEAWAY! (More about that here.)

My school had to move the piano into the common area for an event and they decided to keep it there for a couple of days. It was wonderful hearing so many people playing songs and everyone connecting over the music.

This month I also participated in a Photo-a-day challenge. It was a lot of fun! Here are some of my favorite pictures from this month.

Other Things I Loved

  • 52 Lists Project book
  • 52 Lists To Happiness book
  • Pinterest “tried it” button
  • VSCO
  • Nothing Bundt Cakes
  • Sherlock Season 4

That’s all! How was your January? What are you looking forward to this February?

signi

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